India / Rare to find a happy politician: Union Minister Nitin Gadkari

New Delhi: While referring to the recent cycle of appointments of Chief Ministers, Union Road Transport and Highways Minister, Nitin Gadkari said no one is happy with their position and wants to do better, he added that politics is an instrument to bring about social & economic change. 

While addressing a seminar on "Parliamentary System and People's Expectations" in the Rajasthan Assembly, he said when he was the BJP President he didn't find anybody who wasn't unhappy. 

"The MLAs are sad as they could not become a minister. The ministers are sad as they did not get a good department and those who got a good department, are sad because they could not become the Chief Minister. And the Chief Ministers are sad as they are not sure how long they will stay in office", Gadkari said, to which the audience laughed and applauded. 

"Poet Sharad Joshi once wrote that those who were not suitable for states were sent to Delhi and those who were not suitable for Delhi were made governors, those who were not appointed as governors were made ambassadors. This happens in every political party".

"When I was the BJP President, I have not found anyone who was not sad. Once a journalist asked me that how to stay happy, in reply I told him that those who do not worry about the future, those are ones who stay happy," he added.

The minister mentioned how the responsibility of the legislature is to bring about a qualitative change leading to the social and economic upliftment of the society, even though there is plenty of problems.

"There are problems everywhere. There are problems within the party, in the constituency, but to overcome the problem and bring a qualitative change is the quality of a successful leader," he said.

He also mentioned that politics is an instrument of socio-economic reform.

"Politics is an instrument to bring about a social and economic change. To reform the life of those standing at the extremist of social thrives. It is an effective tool to bring about socio-economic change through the welfare of the last person in society."

"The real purpose of democracy is to make the people standing at the last in the queue of the society prosperous and improve their lives. This should be the purpose of politics as well. But, unfortunately nowadays the meaning of politics is understood only to get into power," he added.