New Delhi:
Nitin Gadkari was sworn in as a minister in Narendra Modi's Cabinet on Monday. He has landed the Road Transport and Highways Ministry as well as Shipping.
When Nitin Gadkari, 53, was forced to give up his claim on a second term as BJP president in January last year, following revelations about alleged dodgy investments, few would have thought that he would stage a comeback soon. He has done just that. He has won the Lok Sabha election from Nagpur, the city which houses the headquarters of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, or the RSS, and has made his way into Narendra Modi's core team. Not surprisingly, his inclusion in Mr Modi's Cabinet was considered a given.
Mr Gadkari is considered a powerful player in the BJP, mainly because he enjoys the backing of the RSS. He is among the few leaders who share a good rapport with RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat. His standing in the party went up after he wrested Nagpur, a seat which the BJP has won only once in the past, from Congress strongman Vilas Muttemwar in his maiden parliamentary election bid.
When the Shiv Sena-BJP government captured power in Maharashtra in 1995, Mr Gadkari, a Brahmin, was appointed as the PWD minister. His performance came in for acclaim. Using the public private partnership (PPP) model as the benchmark, he was instrumental in facilitating the construction of the Mumbai-Pune expressway. His website proudly claims credit for the construction of 66 flyovers and bridges in Mumbai.
Mr Gadkari's innings as BJP president was noteworthy for his confrontation with Mr Modi. After he included former general secretary Sanjay Joshi in the national executive, Mr Modi threatened to boycott a party meet. Mr Gadkari was forced to revoke the decision.
The former BJP president has of late mended fences with Mr Modi, with some help from the RSS. It was his proximity to the BJP's ideological mentor that enabled him to play the role of a mediator between Mr Modi and former deputy prime minister L K Advani.