Mr Nitin Gadkari, the 52-year-old Maharashtra BJP president who is widely believed to be the RSS’ pick for the post of the next party
chief, landed in the Capital on Thursday in what is being seen in political circles here as part of an image-building exercise.
Mr Gadkari’s itinerary during the daylong visit to the Capital included visits to senior party leaders. As part of this exercise, he met vice-president Bal Apte, general secretary in-charge of organisation Ram Lal and office secretary Shyam Jaju. The local RSS headquarters at Jhandewalan, however, was not part of his schedule. But this is hardly surprising as Mr Gadkari hails from Nagpur, which houses the organisation’s national headquarters, and he did not have to undertake a trip to the national Capital to meet the RSS brass.
More than anything else, Mr Gadkari’s visit is being seen by political observers here as being motivated by a desire to enhance his profile. Copies of a booklet entitled ``Politics for Development: Recreating a Prosperous and Secure Maharashtra’’ simultaneously found their way to the offices of senior journalists. The 84-page publication outlined Mr Gadkari’s blueprint for a modern, stronger Maharashtra, which would lead the country in the 21st century. The idea behind the move, a leading journalist maintained, appeared to be tell the country that he was well-equipped to lead the party during these difficult times.
The booklet sought to highlight Mr Gadkari’s contributions to Maharashtra during his stint in public life. He did not shirk away from underlining his credentials as an ``ideal’’ swayamsewak.
“Social work is in my genes. I got interested in social work in early childhood,” the Maharashtra BJP chief wrote about himself, adding, ``My young mind was shaped by the values of the RSS.’’
It is perhaps his standing as a model RSS activist which has catapulted him to the position of being the front-runner for the BJP president’s post. The present incumbent, Mr Rajnath Singh’s tenure as the party chief draws to a close by the end of this year, and Mr Gadkari, who’s not known to many people outside his home state, suddenly finds pitchforked to being the most formidable contender for the hot seat.
With the BJP’s present leadership hamstrung by a vicious infighting and the party confronted with the spectre of being pushed to the margins all across the country, the Nagpur establishment has moved in fast to seize control of the party. Mr Gadkari’s proposed elevation is expected to facilitate the complete takeover of the saffron party by the Sangh leadership. Mr Gadkari, in that respect, would be a perfect rubber-stamp.
The Maharashtra BJP chief, however, denied that his visit had anything to do with the proposed leadership change. ``I have come here on a personal visit. I am a party worker, and I’ve always carried out whatever I’ve been asked to do,’’ Mr Gadkari told newspersons at the BJP’s national headquarters at 11, Ashoka Road. He also denied that he was in the reckoning for the next party president, insisting that he hadn’t received any such instruction.