Nitin Gadkari says he was offered support for PM post, he declined
Nagpur, Sep 14: Union minister Nitin Gadkari on Saturday said a political leader once offered to support him if he were to enter the race for the Prime Minister's post, but he declined the offer stating that he did not nurse that ambition.
"I remember one incident -- I would not name anyone -- that person said `if you are going to become prime minister, we will support you," Gadkari said at a journalism awards function here, without specifying when the conversation took place.
"But, I asked why you should support me, and why should I take your support. To become the prime minister is not the aim in my life. I am loyal to my conviction and my organisation, and I am not going to compromise for any post because my conviction is foremost for me," the senior BJP leader added.
In his speech, Gadkari underlined the importance of ethics in both journalism and politics.
Recalling a meeting with a senior CPI functionary, Gadkari said he told the communist leader that late A B Bardhan was among the tallest politicians from Nagpur and Vidarbha.
When the leader expressed surprise saying that Bardhan was an opponent of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), Gadkari said honest opposition should be respected.
"I said one should respect a person who opposes with honesty, because there is honesty in his opposition....one who opposes with dishonesty deserves no respect," said Gadkari.
Comrade Bardhan was faithful to his ideology, and politics as well as journalism now lack such people, he said.
Democracy will be successful only when all four pillars -- judiciary, executive, legislature and media -- follow ethics, the BJP leader further said.
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Decision on next Maharashtra CM to be taken 'in a day or two', says Shinde
New Delhi (PTI): Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Friday said he had "good and positive" discussions with Union Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP chief J P Nadda on the issue of government formation in the state.
Speaking to reporters here before leaving for Mumbai, Shinde said the decision on the next chief minister of Maharashtra will be taken "in a day or two" in another meeting of the Mahayuti coalition in the state capital.
Shinde, along with Deputy Chief Ministers Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar, met Shah and Nadda late Thursday to thrash out a power-sharing pact for the next government in Maharashtra after the BJP-led coalition registered a thumping majority in the Assembly elections.
"We will take a decision (on Maharashtra CM) in a day or two. We have held discussions, and the discussions will continue. You will get to know when we take a final decision," the outgoing chief minister said.
Shinde said that he would not be an obstacle in the government formation in the state and abide by the decision taken by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Shah.
"This 'ladka bhau' (beloved brother) designation is higher than anything else for me," he said.
Shinde said the meeting with Shah and Nadda was "good and positive".
"We all discussed the formation of government. There is good coordination between the allies, we are all very positive and we will honour the clear-cut mandate given to us by the people. We will form the government soon," he said.
"The meeting was good and positive. This was the first meeting. There will be another meeting of the Mahayuti in Mumbai," Shinde told reporters early Friday.
The Shiv Sena leader said the people of Maharashtra have re-elected them with a thumping majority and respecting the mandate is the topmost priority, not "running after posts".
Recovering from its Lok Sabha elections losses, the BJP bagged 132 Assembly seats, the highest among all constituents of the Mahayuti alliance. Shinde's Shiv Sena and Ajit Pawar's NCP also performed well. Sena won 57 while NCP bagged 41 seats.
The Congress-led Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) suffered a setback with the grand old party registering one of its worst performances in the Assembly polls as it won only 16 seats. Sharad Pawar's NCP(SP) won just 10 seats, whereas Uddhav Thackeray's (UBT) won 20 seats.
The Maharashtra Assembly elections were held on November 20, and the results were declared on November 23.
