Nitin Gadkari

Nitin Gadkari (born 27 May 1957)is a senior Indian politician and the current President of the Bharatiya Janata Party. He is best known for the works during his tenure as a Public Works Department Minister in the state of Maharashta when he constructed a series of roads,highways and flyovers across the state including the Yashwantrao Chavan Mumbai–Pune Expressway  At the fag end of his tenure of BJP President he draws a lot of criticicm for inducting Babu singh Kushwaha in BJP fold, . The recen controversy erupted on awarding Anshuman Mishra a rajya sabha seat also created open recentment within party .Acccusation of auctioning party seat have been raised against gadkari .

Background, family and education

Nitin Gadkari was born in Nagpur, India, to a middle class family hailing from Nagpur district. During his teens, he worked for the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha and the student union ABVP.

He started his political career as a grass-root worker who laid down red carpets prior to party programmes. He did his Ph.D., L.L.B and D.B.M. from Maharashtra, India.

Nitin Gadkari is married to Kanchan Gadkari and they have three children; Nikhil, Sarang and Ketki. He currently lives in Nagpur close to the head office ofRashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh.

Political career

Nitin Gadkari served as the Minister of Public Works Department(pwd) of the Govt. of Maharashtra from 1995 to 1999 and restructured it from top to bottom. He has served as the president of the Maharashtra BJP.

Support for privatization

He showed strong support for privatization when he campaigned for investment in the infrastructure areas from private firms. He addressed several meetings between private investors, contractors, builders and various trade organizations and diverted large amounts of budgeted projects towards privatization. He managed to convince the state to allocate Rs. 700 Crores for rural connectivity. In the next 4 years, 98% of the total population of Maharashtra achieved an all-weather road connectivity. It also helped to solve the malnutrition problems prevailing in remote Melghat-Dharni area of Amravati district which previously had no access to medical aid, ration or educational facilities. The project aimed to connect 13,736 remote villages which remained unconnected since independence by road.

Chairman of NRRDC

The Union Government appointed him the Chairman of National Rural Road Development Committee. After a series of meetings and studies, Shri Gadkari submitted his report to the central government and gave the presentation to the Hon. Prime Minister of India. His new report was accepted and a new rural road connecting scheme now popularly known as Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana was launched. The ambitious scheme is of Rs. 60,000 crores.

Positions served

• Ex Minister, Govt Of Maharashtra
• Chairman, Purti Group Of Companies
• President, Bharatiya Janata Party, Maharashtra State
• Ex-Leader of Opposition, Maharashtra Legislative Council
• Former Minister for Public Works Department, Maharashtra State
• Member of Legislative Council, Maharashtra State
• Elected to the Maharashtra Govt. Legislative Council in 1989 from graduates constituency, Nagpur Region.
• Re-Elected in the year 1990.
• Re-Elected in the year 1996 and elected unopposed in 2002.
• Inducted in the Maharashtra State Government Cabinet as the Minister for Public Works on May 27 1995.
• Ex-Member of the High Power Committee for Privatisation, Government of Maharashtra.
• Ex-Chairman, Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation, India.
• Ex-Guardian Minister for Nagpur District, Govt. of Maharashtra.
• Ex-Chairman, Mining policy Implementation Committee, Govt. of Maharashtra.
• Ex-Chairman, Metropolis Beautification Committee, Govt. of Maharashtra.
• Ex-Leader of Opposition, Maharashtra Legislative Council, Chairman National Rural Road Development Committee
• Chairman, Review Committee of CPWD, Govt. of India.
• State President of Bhartiya Janata Party, Maharashtra.

After a successful stint as PWD Minister, Gadkari took over as President of the Maharashtra State Unit of the BJP in 2004. In 2009, when the BJP National President Rajnath Singh's term ended in December, Gadkari succeeded him as the youngest ever President of BJP.

Industrial career

Nitin Gadkari does not consider himself a career politician. He is known to control these establishments in the following way;

• Poly sack Industrial Society Ltd - Founder and Chairman.
• Nikhil Furniture and Appliances Pvt. Ltd - Promoter and Director.
• Antyodaya Trust - Founder and Member.
• Empress Employees Co-operative Paper Mills Ltd - Founder and Chairman.

Gadkari is also an agriculturist. He has not only promoted but also has major interests in the fields of Water Management, Solar Energy Projects and the use of modern tools in agriculture. Recently, he started exporting fruits to various countries under the banner Ketaki overseas Trading Company.

Awards

He has been honored with the Bombay Bhushan Award and has also been felicitated by various organizations in Mumbai.