"Votes Are Obtained By...": Nitin Gadkari On His Election Strategy

Senior BJP leader and Union minister Nitin Gadkari on Monday asserted that votes are won on the basis of "politics of service" rather than on "posters and banners". He said he has now decided that he will not put up any posters or offer tea to people in his constituency in the next election as "those who have to vote will vote and those who do not will not". At the same time, he exuded confidence in increasing his winning margin in the next poll.

Mr Gadkari was addressing a programme on the death anniversary of former vice president Bhairon Singh Shekhawat at Khachariyawas village in Sikar district of Rajasthan.

"I have fought the election in a very tough constituency. Everyone had asked me not to contest from there, but I fought with determination. Now I have decided that in the next election, I will not put up posters or banners, will not give tea or do anything else. Those who have to vote will vote and those who do not will not," he said.

"Votes are obtained by 'politics of service', 'politics of development', welfare of the poor in villages, giving poor people health facilities, employment to youth and good education to children," he added.

The Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways said the concept of "politics of service" was brought in by RSS ideologue Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya, and that he defined his politics on this concept.

"The biggest problem of politics is the emptiness of ideas. Bhairon Singh Shekhawat stayed with principles and never compromised with his ideology.

Politics for Mr Shekhawat was a medium to serve people and an instrument for socio-economic reform," he said.

Nitin Gadkari, who represents Nagpur constituency, said the 'politics of service' does not come with talks, books or research, but with actions and deeds.

He said the work on the Delhi-Jaipur electric highway is on and when electric buses will run, the ticket cost will be Rs 30 lesser to the (present) fare.

Union minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, Leader of Opposition Rajendra Rathore, Deputy Leader of Opposition Satish Poonia and other BJP leaders were also present in the programme.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)