Nitin Jairam Gadkari (/nitinɡʌdkʌˈri/ⓘ; born 27 May 1957) is an Indian politician from
Maharashtra[2] who serving as 40th
Minister for Road Transport & Highways in the
Government of India since 2024.[3] He is also the longest serving Minister for Road Transport & Highways currently running his tenure for over nine years.[4] Gadkari earlier served as the President of the
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) from 2009 to 2013.[5] He is also known for his work as the Public Works Department Minister of the State of
Maharashtra, where, under his leadership, a series of roads, highways and
flyovers across the state were constructed.[citation needed]
He currently represents the
Nagpur constituency in the
Lok Sabha and is a lawyer by occupation. He previously also served as a Minister in various departments which includes Water resources and River development, Shipping, Rural Development and MSME. During the cabinet reshuffle on 7 July 2021, the portfolio for the
Ministry of MSME which was under him was reassigned to
Narayan Rane, another
BJP MP from
Maharashtra as a part of cabinet expansion. He is often referred to as the "Expressway Man of India" by the media due to his initiation of the
Mumbai-Pune Expressway and contributions to the development of
expressways and other road infrastructure.[6][7] The
World Economic Forum has recognised him as the "pioneer of
public–private partnership (PPP) in the road sector".[8] Under his tenure as Minister of Road and Transport, Indian highway network grew by 59% within 9 years.[9]
Gadkari strongly supported
privatisation while he campaigned for investments in infrastructure from
private firms. He addressed several meetings between private investors,
contractors, builders and various
trade organisations and diverted large amounts of budgeted projects towards privatisation. Subsequently, the state government allocated ₹7 billion for rural connectivity. Over the next four years, all-weather road connectivity in
Maharashtra was extended to 98% of the population. The project aimed to connect 13,736 remote villages which remained unconnected since independence by road.[20][21] It also helped ameliorate
malnutrition in remote
Melghat-
Dharni area of
Amravati district, which previously had no access to medical aid,
ration or educational facilities.
The Union Government appointed him as the Chairman of
National Rural Road Development Committee. After a series of meetings and studies, Gadkari submitted his report to the central government and gave the presentation to
Atal Bihari Vajpayee, then
Prime Minister of India. His new report was accepted and
Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana, an ambitious rural road connecting scheme worth ₹600 billion, was launched.[22][23]
He received the Late Madhavrao Limaye Award by Public Library Nashik, for Most Efficient Member of Parliament for 2020-21.[24][25]
As Public Works Department (PWD) Minister, Maharashtra, 1996–99
As PWD Minister of
Maharashtra, Gadkari played a crucial role in expediting the construction of the
Mumbai-Pune Expressway.[30] In 1990, the
Government of Maharashtra conducted feasibility studies for the new expressway to be operated on a toll basis, however, it was only after Gadkari took over as PWD Minister[31] that the construction of this project was fast-tracked. Gadkari entrusted the work of the construction of
Mumbai-
Pune expressway to
MSRDC in March 1997 on Build-Operate-Transfer basis with permission to collect toll for 30 years. The tender notice[32] was published in leading newspapers all over India and also on the Internet. Due to the wide publicity, 133 tenders were sold and on 18 December 1997, 55 tenders were received. After technical and financial evaluation, tenders were accepted and work orders were given on 1 January 1998 to four contractors. Thereafter tenders for widening of the
Khandala and
Lonavala-
Khandala bypass works were invited. The tenders were received on 24 August 1998 and orders were issued on 4 September 1998. The first sections of the Expressway opened in 2000, and the entire route was completed, opened to traffic and made fully operational from April 2002.
The other major achievement of Gadkari as state minister[33] was the construction of 55 flyovers in Mumbai, which eased the city traffic problems significantly.
As President of BJP, 2009–2013
Gadkari was appointed the president of the
BJP in December 2009. This was considering a tough phase for the
BJP as the party had lost two successive
Lok Sabha elections and needed a quick revamp.[34]
In his book India Aspires, co-authored with
Tuhin Sinha,[35] Gadkari spells out his development ideas for the country in great detail. Increased institutional support to green energy, alternate fuel and effective waste management hold special importance in Gadkari's development plan. [36]
As
BJP party president, Gadkari, re-emphasised on legendary Jan Sangh leader Deen Dayal Upadhya's principles of
Integral Humanism and Antyodaya (upliftment of the poor). At the same time, various cells[37][38] were constituted within the party to regularly monitor the develop work undertaken by various
BJP state governments and to come up with new policy inputs.
Gadkari resigned as party president in January 2013.[39][40]
2014 and 2019 Lok Sabha elections
Gadkari contested 2014 Lok Sabha election successfully from
Nagpur constituency and won. He defeated Congress party candidate
Vilas Muttemwar by margin of 285,000. He retained his seat in 2019, defeating
Nana Patole of Congress party by 216,000 margin.[2]
Union Minister
Gadkari became the
Minister of Road Transport and Highways and
Minister of Shipping in May 2014.[41] Out of the stalled projects he inherited, projects worth ₹1 trillion (US$12 billion) were terminated and others worth ₹350 billion (US$4.2 billion) were put up for rebidding.[42] He increased the pace of road creation in the country from 2 km/day to 16.5 km/day in his first year and to 21 km/day in the second year and end of 2018 30 km/day.[43] He reserved an amount of one per cent of the total projects awarded in his tenure worth ₹2 trillion (US$24 billion) for trees and beautification.[44]
During the
Second Modi ministry, Gadkari retained
Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, while the Ministry of Shipping and
Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation were replaced with
Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises on 31 May 2019.[45] Highway construction pace post 2019 was 36 km per day in 2020 and Gadkari aims to take it to 68 kms per day with a target of 25000 kms in 2022-23.[46][47] In line with the vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat green fuel adoption and fuel self sufficiency Gadkari drove to the parliament in a hydrogen powered FCEV Toyota Mirai car. He asked people to opt for green fuel vehicles.[48]
Gadkari, who was virtually present at the inauguration of the headquarters of the
National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) on 28 October 2020, made a speech that was highly critical of the
NHAI officials and bureaucracy.[49][50][51]
Gadkari has been praised for several initiatives by both BJP and Congress leaders as well as critics, most notably for increasing blend of ethanol in gasoline, encouraging mixing plastic in asphalt-bitumen roads, as well as launching the
Bharat NCAP.[52][53] The Bharat NCAP has been launched on the lines of Global NCAP,[54] which is based on
Latin NCAP 2016.[55] Due to absence of safety features in cars made for India, which was noted following the crash testing of a few models in 2014, Gadkari mandated safety features such as ABS and 6 airbags(earlier 2 airbags) for cars sold across India.[56][57] While he received praise for trying to make roads and cars safer, some automakers criticized this decision, stating that adding safety features will drive up prices of vehicles and make them unaffordable.[58]
Khasdar Sanskrutik Mahotsav
Gadkari, organises Khasdar Sanskrutik Mahotsav every year in Nagpur. The event focuses on India's diverse cultural heritage, encompassing traditional arts, music, dance, and literature. The Program Involves Various Bollywood celebrtities, singers and performers including
Hema Malini,
Mika Singh,
Amit Trivedi and
Adnan Sami.[59][60]
2024 general election
In March 2024, he was announced as the BJP candidate from his home constituency Nagpur in the
2024 General Elections.[61]
Industrial career
During his career in politics, Gadkari set up a number of private industries and companies.[62] These include –
Poly sack Industrial Society Ltd – founder and chairman[26]
Nikhil Furniture and Appliances Pvt. Ltd – promoter and director[26]
Empress Employees Co-operative Paper Mills Ltd – founder and chairman[26]
Purti Power and Sugar Ltd / Purti Sakhar Karkhana Ltd – promoter[63]
Gadkari has registered himself as an
agriculturist for tax purposes. He also started a fruit export company under the banner of "Ketaki Overseas Trading Company".[26] He owns a total of 17 sugar plantations in
Vidarbha under the banner of the Purti group. Gadkari floated the Purti Power and Sugar Ltd (now Purti Group) in 1995,[64] when he started as PWD minister in
Maharashtra. In 2012, the companies came into the media glare based on irregularities unearthed by RTI activist
Anjali Damania, the Income Tax department investigated a number of firms that had invested in Purti, and found more than a dozen of these to be bogus addresses.[65] Another three investing firms were found co-located with the Somani Group, but no one knew of these firms.[66] Following this, Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal amplified the allegations accusing Gadkari of irregularities. However, Kejriwal apologised unconditionally after Gadkari filed a defamation case against him.[67]
In 2010, when the Purti group had incurred losses of Rs. 640 million,[68] the firm
IRB, which had obtained hefty road contracts under Gadkari's term as PWD minister, loaned the group Rs. 1.64 billion, which was higher than Purthi's turnover of Rs. 1.45 billion. When questioned on Marathi channel
IBN-Lokmat, about why he did not avail a loan from banks, Gadkari explained that the balance sheets of the company were not in a suitable state, so he had requested his friend Dattatray to help him out.[69] Also, Gadkari's son Nikhil was allegedly a director with IRB at the time. Gadkari argued that there was nothing wrong in having contractors invest in one's firms.[70]
The news of these allegations broke a few months before Gadkari was to seek re-election as president of the BJP. At the time, Gadkari was to address several rallies for the
2012 Himachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly election.
India Today reported that BJP leader
Shanta Kumar had suggested that Gadkari's presence was "affecting
BJP's anti-corruption campaign."[71] Subsequently, Gadkari cancelled his scheduled rallies at Bilaspur and Solan on 30 October.
In early 2013, in the elections for BJP president, for which Gadkari was "close to clinching a second innings"[72] his chances unravelled with several senior leaders suggesting that the I-T indictment of the Purti groups investments had damaged his image,[73] and Gadkari was not re-elected.[74] Gadkari told the Times of India that he was stepping down until the inquiry proved him innocent.[75] Some RSS functionaries have suggested that his exit was the result of infighting.[76] Subsequently, Gadkari threatened the I-T officers, saying "when our party comes to power, there would be no
Chidambaram or
Sonia to save them (I-T officials)"; Gadkari said,"Earlier CBI was doing Congress's bidding and now the I-T people are following suit."[77] The I-T officers association took umbrage at these remarks and demanded an apology.[78]
Eventually, in May 2013, the
Income Tax department assessed that Gadkari's firms had evaded Rs. 70 million via such
benami investments and other practices. On 30 April. 2014, then Congress union Minister
Manish Tewari apologised to Gadkari when he was dragged in to a defamation suit by the latter. This apology was based on the judicial commission mention that Gadkari had played no role or had no concern with the scam.[79] On 13 May 2014, the Income Tax department of
Maharashtra state cleared Gadkari's name and gave him a clean chit saying there is no investigation presently pending.[69][80][81]
Personal life
Nitin Gadkari is married to Kanchan Gadkari and they have three children, Nikhil, Sarang and Ketki.[82][83] His eldest son Nikhil is married to Rutuja Pathak[84] and Sarang Gadkari is married to Madhura Rodi.[85] Gadkari and his family follow a
vegetarian diet.[13]
Event
In August 2019 Gadkari created controversy when he stated that he had advised the then
Union Finance Minister to sack the
RBI Governor because the latter was inflexible and adamant.[86]
In 2009, seven-year-old Yogita Thakre was found dead with bruises all over her body in a car allegedly owned by Gadkari and parked near his home. Maharashtra's
Criminal Investigation Department (CID) tried twice to close the case, but was rejected by local courts. Mr Gadkari's employees claimed that the girl accidentally locked herself in the boot of the car and died of suffocation. The girl's mother, however, claimed she was murdered. Yogita's post-mortem report said that she was smothered to death.[87]
In popular culture
In 27 October 2023, a Marathi language biopic titled Gadkari was released in
Maharashtra.[88]
^
ab"Let's Drop Anchor". Outlook India.
Archived from the original on 7 May 2016. Retrieved 5 March 2015. In another mail of Friday, July 5, 2013, a detailed plan from Vaibhav Dange is forwarded to the captain by Sunil Bajaj, from Essar Services. This mail lists Nikhil and Sarang Gadkari as contact persons, and lists their mobile numbers. The planner adds, "Everybody is Vegetarian and prefers Asian vegetarian that is Indian Veg, Chinese Veg etc."
^"Gadkari loves his food & politics". The Economic Times.
Archived from the original on 18 February 2019. Retrieved 21 December 2009. Mr Gadkari is full of ideas about development and food. Had it not been politics, he perhaps could have been one of the best food critics. His stout and rather over-nourished figure though stands testimony to his fondness for food, it actually doesn't tell a complete story. An authority on pure vegetarian and Maharashtrian food, Nitin equally loves to take his friends on culinary trips
^Kumar, Devesh (20 December 2009).
"Features". The Times of India.
Archived from the original on 15 October 2012. Retrieved 26 January 2011.
^Dandekar, Hemalata C.; Mahajan, Sulakshana (2001). "MSRDC and Mumbai-Pune Expressway: A Sustainable Model for Privatising Construction of Physical Infrastructure?". Economic and Political Weekly. 36 (7): 549–559.
ISSN0012-9976.
JSTOR4410291.
^Sandeep Ashar & Rajshri Mehta (23 October 2012).
"Mysterious investors in Gadkari's group share 'fake' addresses". The Times of India.
Archived from the original on 23 October 2012. Retrieved 24 May 2014.quote: Vidya Buildcon Private Ltd, Sanobar Infrastructure and Roller Multitrade — are all registered in an office on the second floor of Shree Niwas House... This was the headquarters of various companies belonging to the well-known Somani Group. Members of the Somani family and their employees present in the premises denied any knowledge regarding these firms.
^
abWill BJP president Nitin Gadkari get his second term in office? (26 October 2012).
"In the Wrong Business". Kiran Tare and Bhavna Vij-Aurora.
Archived from the original on 25 May 2014. Retrieved 24 May 2014.