Mumbai, Sept 30: Union Road Transport and Highways Minister, Nitin Gadkari, a senior leader of the BJP, made an unconventional announcement during the inauguration of three National Highway projects in Maharashtra’s Washim. He declared that he would not campaign for himself in the upcoming 2024 Lok Sabha elections, adopting a unique strategy for his campaign.
Gadkari, who represents the Nagpur Lok Sabha constituency, stated, “For this Lok Sabha election, I have decided that no banners or posters will be put up, neither tea will be offered to people. Those who have to vote will vote and those who do not will not. Neither will I take a bribe nor will I allow anyone.”
This decision comes after Gadkari shared his belief that elections should be won by nurturing trust and love for voters rather than using traditional campaign methods. He had previously recounted an incident where he provided mutton to voters but still lost the election. He emphasized that voters are astute and receive election incentives from every candidate. Ultimately, people vote for the candidate they believe is the right choice for them.
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Nitin Gadkari has been representing the Nagpur Lok Sabha constituency since 2014 and successfully retained his seat in the 2019 general election.
While the Lok Sabha elections are scheduled for next year, assembly elections in five states—Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Telangana, Mizoram, and Chhattisgarh—are expected to take place by the end of this year. Additionally, elections in Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Odisha, Sikkim, and Jharkhand are likely to be held concurrently with the general elections.
In the same event, held in Washim, the Union Minister inaugurated three National Highway projects with a total worth of Rs 3,695 crore. Over the past nine years, a 227 km highway network has been constructed in Washim district, connecting Vidarbha and Marathwada regions, as per the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways statement.
