Gadkari confident of BJP's victory in civic polls

Nagpur, Jan 12 (PTI) Union Minister Nitin Gadkari on Monday said the contest for civic polls does not feel like an election, asserting that the BJP will comfortably win a majority in the Nagpur Municipal Corporation elections.

Gadkari was speaking at a talk show in Nagpur, where he answered questions on his personal life, likes and dislikes, social work, political journey, and experiences so far.

Responding to an indirect question on whether people change parties if basic facilities are provided, Gadkari said that today politics is neither rightist nor leftist, but “opportunist”.

"Such is the situation now because people have become power-oriented. There are two kinds of politics — politics of convenience and politics of conviction," he said.

Recalling his early days in politics, Gadkari said that despite limited public support and recognition, there was immense joy in working because of the commitment to ideology.

"Today, everyone in politics thinks only about themselves — ‘what about me?’ As a result, issues concerning the country, society and the poor have taken a backseat,” he said.

He added that earlier, party workers remained loyal throughout their lives without expecting anything in return.

"Now, the trend is to join the party in power and leave it when it loses power to join another. This import and export culture has increased significantly," Gadkari said.

When asked about the BJP’s prospects in the civic polls, Gadkari said, "This election does not feel like an election. We are 101 per cent sure that we will secure a majority. The only question is whether we will break our previous record. The reason is that we have changed the face of the city." Gadkari listed various development projects undertaken in Nagpur by him and the government, as well as projects lined up for the future.

He said Nagpur has witnessed overall development and that more initiatives will be taken to make it one of the cleanest and most beautiful cities in the country. PTI CLS NSK