Gadkari Says Power Is Meaningless, If BJP Imitates Previous Regimes

Nagpur: Union minister Nitin Gadkari on Thursday said political power becomes "meaningless" if BJP governs in the same manner as the regimes it once opposed (at the Centre, states and corporations).Speaking at an event to mark the 101st birth anniversary of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Gadkari framed his remarks as both a tribute to the former PM's legacy and a cautionary note for the present netas.
Without naming Congress, Gadkari said BJP was founded on ethics, ideology, and public welfare, not on dynastic politics or personal ambition. "This party was created to give a voice to the voiceless and empower the downtrodden. If we start doing what those in power before us did, then neither did their exit benefit the country, nor does our coming to power hold any meaning," he said.The senior BJP leader underlined his own political journey, saying he was not driven by personal gain. "I did not enter politics to become a minister or to secure political careers for my children," he said, asserting leadership must emerge from public acceptance and performance rather than family lineage. On dynasty politics, he clarified there was nothing inherently wrong with being someone's son or daughter, but tickets and authority could not be claimed as a right.Gadkari repeatedly returned to Vajpayee's example, describing him as a leader who accepted both victory and defeat with equanimity. He recalled that Vajpayee contested elections whenever the party asked him to and bore losses without bitterness. "He lost several elections. Once, after losing a poll, Atal Ji and another BJP stalwart Lal Krishna Advani went to watch a film titled ‘Phir Subah Aayegi'," Gadkari said, using the anecdote to underline political humility."Politics is a game of compulsions, contradictions, compromises, and limitations," Gadkari added. "But even amid all this, our original character must remain intact. We are a party with a difference, committed to development and the progress of the motherland, not a party of a family."Recalling Vajpayee's formative role in shaping BJP, the Nagpur MP spoke of the difficult years following the split of the Janata Party in 1980, when electoral success appeared distant and morale was low. "Dreams were shattered, but at Bandra Reclamation Ground in Mumbai, the foundation of BJP was laid," he said, noting Vajpayee's belief that a committed party worker was the organisation's greatest strength.Gadkari cited eminent jurist MC Chagla's early prediction that Vajpayee would one day become a Prime Minister. He recalled Vajpayee's words on that occasion — govts would come and go, parties would be formed and dissolved, but the nation must remain supreme. He also invoked Vajpayee's famous line, "Andhera chhatega, suraj niklega aur kamal khilega," which later became synonymous with BJP's rise.Sharing personal memories, Gadkari recounted an incident from the early 1990s when Vajpayee arrived at Nagpur airport and supporters raised slogans projecting him as the nation's leader. Vajpayee, he said, responded that what mattered was not who the leader was, but what kind of nation was being built. "For him, the nation was above everything. Rashtra was equivalent to a mother," Gadkari said.He described Vajpayee's journey as an RSS swayamsevak, his association with many RSS leaders, his work as a journalist, and his poetic temperament. "His poems revealed emotions of his heart, his patriotism, and his lifelong dedication to the nation," Gadkari said, adding Vajpayee's oratory had an appeal that transcended party lines. "Even Opposition leaders would attend his speeches. Many people who never voted for us would still come just to listen to him."Gadkari also recalled Vajpayee's fondness for Marathi theatre, narrating how the two once attended a play after a flight cancellation. He concluded by sharing advice he received from Vajpayee during a turbulent session in the Maharashtra legislature. "Atal Ji asked me why violence was necessary to oppose something. He said our words should be powerful enough to become our voice, make an impact on the govt and convey truth to the people," Gadkari said.

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