Union minister Nitin Gadkari is a man being closely watched by political observers all across the country.
Even BJP circles are also curiously watching his political moves. This sudden spotlight on Gadkari is the result of his critical comments on the way BJP National president Amit Shah handled the recently concluded Assembly polls in five states namely Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Telangana and Mizoram. Gadkari demands Amith Shah as the president of the party should own up responsibility for the poll debacle.
Gadkari, who hails from Nagpur, where RSS headquarters is located, is generally seen as RSS man in the Modi’s cabinet.
Grapevine has it that Gadkari’s critical remarks about the failure of leadership in five states has the blessings from Sangh headquarters, and he is mobilising all disgruntled in party and among NDA allies who are said to be the victims of high-handed behavior of Amit Shah.
The question that aries now is why Gadkari is training his guns at Shah.
Many in the party say the enmity between Shah and Gadkari is not sudden but has a history which dates back to the days when Gadkari was the BJP president.
According to grapevine on many an occasion Shah was made to wait for an audience with party president. In retaliation, it is believed, Shah as party president put a spanner in the attempts of Gadkari when the latter wanted to become chief minister of Maharashtra. Shah, elbowing out Gadkari, favored little known Devendra Fadnavis for the post of chief minister.
The now Gadkari is baying for the blood of Shah. Following BJP’s trouncing in Assembly polls Gadkari is certain that the NDA will fall short of numbers to form government in 2019, and its dependence on allies won’t allow Modi to have second term. Gadkari is of the opinion that such an eventuality would brighten his chances of becoming next Prime Minister of India. Observers say Gadkari’s criticism against BJP leadership is not without any political agenda.