Maharashtra Legislative Council polls: From newspaper vendor to becoming first MLC from Matang community, BJP’s Amit Gorkhe proves his mettle

Gorkhe said parties like the Congress and others have only used the name of social reformer Annabhau Sathe who was from the Matang community for their political purpose. “But these parties did nothing for our community nor for our icon,” Gorkhe said, whose rise up the political ladder is being attributed to his proximity to Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis who had visited his residence for lunch a couple of years ago.

Gorkhe has come up in life the hard way. And his rise has been phenomenal, from education field, social, cultural to political field, he has proved his mettle everywhere.

His family hailed from Shrigonda taluka of Ahmednagar and shifted to Pimpri-Chinchwad in the 1980s. Along with his parents and two siblings, Gorkhe lived in a rented single room in a chawl in Kalbhornagar area of Pimpri-Chinchwad. His father first worked as security guard with Bharat Forge Ltd and then worked as a watchman in Greaves Company Ltd. Till Class 10, Gorkhe studied in the PCMC-run Swami Vivekanand Vidya Mandir in Kalbhornagar.

“Our family’s financial condition was so bad that I had to manage my studies as well as earn a few rupees so that we could get two square meals a day. I worked as a newspaper vendor at the State Transport bus stand and delivered newspapers door to door. I even sold cucumbers to the passengers. I hardly earned Rs 120 per month but it meant a lot for our family in those trying times,” said Gorkhe, recalling the difficult phase of his life.

Then suddenly, one day his father went missing – only to return after one and a half years. “The difficulties faced by us aggravated during this period,” said Gorkhe.

While looking after his family, Gorkhe also completed his college education. He graduated in arts from Modern College, Shivajinagar and then went on to complete his law degree from Symbiosis Law College. He also got an MA in Sociology.

Gorkhe said he then pursued his dream of establishing himself in the field of education. “My mother, who had been a teacher, inspired me… I had very little knowledge of computers but I started a computer class and roped in two teachers,” he said. From here, he never looked back. He then started a degree college in hotel management in Nigdi in 2001 and the Novel Institute of Business Management in 2002. Subsequently, he also started a school in Chinchwad.

“I bought a 2.5-acre land in Chinchwad with money borrowed from friends and established a school, college, and an MBA institute. From this year onward, we will start a law college as well,” he said.

While dabbling in education and social fields, Gorkhe also started Kalarang, a cultural organisation, which provided a platform for budding artists to showcase their skills. The organisation is the first one in Pimpri-Chinchwad which brought top actors to the industrial city and felicitated them. “We must have felicitated at least 200 actors so far… My inspiration for starting Kalarang came while making decorations during Ganesh festival,” he emphasised. Among the actors honoured by Kalarang include the likes of Ashok Saraf, Nana Patekar, Sachin Pilgaonkar and several others.

From childhood, Gorkhe has been part of the RSS. “I regularly attended RSS shakhas and then worked for the RSS for years,” he said.

In 2012, he came in contact with Fadnavis and since then, his friendship with him has been the talk of the town. “The big moment came when Devendraji visited my home for lunch. And I always knew he is the right person who will do justice to the Matang community. And he has done it, making my election a historic one,” Gorkhe said.