Nitin Gadkari Reveals He Declined Offer to Become Prime Minister, Cites Loyalty to Convictions

Union Minister and Bharatiya Janata Party leader Nitin Gadkari revealed that he declined an offer from a political figure to become Prime Minister, stating that achieving this role was not his life’s goal. Speaking at the late Anil Kumar Patrakarita Puraskar Samaroh organized by Vidarbha Gaurav Pratishthan on Saturday, the Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways emphasized his commitment to his principles and his party, declaring that he would not compromise on them for any position.

“I won’t name the individual, but someone approached me, saying, ‘If you aim to become Prime Minister, we’ll support you.’ I responded, ‘Why would I need your support, and why should I accept it?’ Becoming Prime Minister is not my life’s objective. I am devoted to my values and my organization, and I won’t compromise on these. For me, my conviction is paramount. I believe that conviction is the greatest strength of Indian democracy,” Gadkari remarked.

He also stressed that democracy can only thrive if all four pillars—the judiciary, executive, legislature, and media—uphold ethical standards.

Gadkari’s name had surfaced as a potential Prime Ministerial candidate in discussions during both the 2019 and 2024 Lok Sabha elections. As a well-known BJP leader, he has served as the Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways since May 2014 and has been elected to the Nagpur Lok Sabha seat three times.

In the 2024 election, Gadkari secured victory from the Nagpur constituency by a margin of 1,37,603 votes, defeating his Congress rival. However, this margin had decreased compared to his 2019 win, where he had defeated Congress candidate Nana Patole by 2,16,000 votes. Gadkari first ran for the seat in 2014, winning by 2,84,828 votes.