Work for organisation, don’t crave for ministerial positions, Nitin Gadkari tells party workers

Pune: With former Maharashtra minister Eknath Khadse and BJP state chief Raosaheb Danve in attendance, Union minister Nitin Gadkari on Sunday asked party workers not to hanker after ministerial positions and said senior functionary should demonstrate ethical conduct. [caption id=“attachment_2723522” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Union Minister Nitin Gadkari. PTI[/caption] Addressing the concluding session of the two-day meeting of BJP’s Maharashtra state executive here, Gadkari appealed to the party workers to devote themselves to organisational work and the national cause. “Those who crave for position of power are driven by insatiable ambition and they remain unhappy. Ministership and the pomp and power that come with it do not last long. Senior party functionaries should demonstrate ethical behaviour to set an example for new workers,” he said. Those seated on the dais as Gadkari spoke included former state Revenue Minister Eknath Khadse, who recently resigned in the wake of allegations of wrongdoings, and state BJP president Raosaheb Danve. “We all have weaknesses. I’d weakness for food. Doctors performed the bariatric surgery (aimed at weight loss to curb obesity) on me and structurally limited my food intake which is good for health.” “Everybody should choose his own doctor to ensure good health by curbing the cravings,” he added. Noting that the BJP is a grassroots worker-based party and not a “dynastic” entity, Gadkari said none of the leaders has been able to dictate terms while running it. Gadkari said his view was backed by his own experience as the party chief. “I was the president and I know this. This party is no  run by the dictates of any one individual - be it Atal Bihari Vajpayee, L K Advani, myself, Amit Shah, or Narendra Modi. It has a different character and the party belongs to its workers who are the real source of its strength,” he said. Without taking name of any party, he said the BJP is not a “dynastic” party where the power is in the hands of family members. “This party does not belong to any individual and has a collective goal that each ordinary party worker tries to achieve as a mission,” he said.