Work, not vote bank: Why Gadkari won't let elections dictate development

The road transport minister says development must be guided by long-term merit, not election cycles, even as states head to polls with pre-budget handouts and populist pledges

At a time when much of government decision-making seems moulded around election cycles, Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari says he refuses to play that game. In a recent interview with Business Standard, the senior BJP leader emphasised that his approach to governance is not shaped by the prospect of votes but by merit-based policy and long-term national interest.

 

“I didn’t keep targets keeping elections in mind,” Gadkari said. “My value system didn’t allow me to think about elections while working.”

 

Why Nitin Gadkari says governance shouldn’t be timed to elections

While such declarations are not uncommon in politics, they are rarely seen in practice. It is routine for governments to front-load schemes — subsidies, handouts, or infrastructure projects — just ahead of elections to maximise voter goodwill. In this context, Gadkari said his indifference to electoral timing stood out. 

In a candid chat with Business Standard, Gadkari shared why politics shouldn’t come in the way of policy, claiming to have told constituents to vote for him only if they were satisfied with his work; otherwise, not at all.

 

 

“I told people in my constituency that if they were happy with my work, they should vote for me. If they weren’t, it was alright. I would still work for them. This didn’t come from a place of arrogance — I was humble,” he said.

 

‘Think from century to century’, not five-year terms

The three-time Member of Parliament also quoted the late Dattopant Thengadi, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) ideologue from Vidarbha: “Every politician thinks about his next election for five years, but every socio-economic reformer and nation builder thinks from century to century.”

 

For Gadkari, infrastructure — particularly road building — is not just a logistical pursuit, but a transformational one. His target of building 100 km of roads a day was, by his own admission, “almost impossible”, but he insisted on chasing it.

 

“Even if it looked impossible, we had to work to make it achievable,” Gadkari explained.  ALSO READ | 'It's not about funds, but ideas': Gadkari hits out at bureaucracy in Pune

 

As vote-bank politics rises, Gadkari chooses long-term goals

National parties, including the Bharatiya Janata Party and Congress, have frequently been accused of offering pre-election handouts or “freebies” to sway voters. This includes announcements ranging from welfare schemes to infrastructure investments.

 

Ahead of the Delhi Assembly elections, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) made cleaning the Yamuna a key poll promise — its first time giving the issue central importance, despite past political deadlock between the state and central governments. The BJP countered with schemes like the Mahila Samridhi Yojana, offering ₹2,500 per month to women — ₹400 more than AAP’s offer.

 

In the 2025 Budget, Bihar, set to go to polls later this year, received significant attention, including ₹59,000 crore for roads, power, and flood management, in addition to multiple new projects. Assam, which holds Assembly elections in 2026, was the only other state mentioned in the Budget speech, with a new 1.27 million-tonne urea plant announced for Namrup.  ALSO READ | Nitin Gadkari announces annual FASTag pass for ₹3,000, effective August 15

 

Builder, not a campaigner: Nitin Gadkari on his role

In the midst of this, Gadkari wants to be seen as a builder, not a campaigner, with a long-term vision. He said he told voters to re-elect him only if they thought he had done a good job. However, he acknowledged, “I could work only because people voted for me”, while also stating that governance should not be reduced to a vote-gathering exercise.

 

That stance, of course, is also politically useful. In a landscape where cynicism about political motives runs deep, presenting oneself as above the fray can serve as a powerful brand. Genuine or not, the approach has worked. Gadkari still leads a key ministry, builds roads at a record pace, and champions merit.

 

“We were trying to make our policies better and straighten out issues so that execution of projects was faster,” Gadkari stated.