I am not a puppet of seniors leaders : Gadkari

New BJP president Nitin Gadkari says he has '100 per cent' support and cooperation from party seniors and that he was not a "puppet" of any of them.

New BJP president Nitin Gadkari says he has “100 per cent” support and cooperation from party seniors and that he was not a “puppet” of any of them. 53-year-old Gadkari,the youngest ever BJP president who assumed the high party post on December 20,asserted that he was taking his own decisions — though often after consulting senior party and RSS leaders.

Gadkari also denied that he is an RSS appointee and that he was imposed on the party. “100 percent,I’m telling you that all leaders are with me. They are supporting me from the core of their heart and they have guided me very properly,taking all precaution about my activity,and they are supporting me,” Gadkari said when asked if he has the full support and co operation of senior leaders like Sushma Swaraj,Arun Jaitley,Venkaiah Naidu and Ananth Kumar.

The portly BJP leader from Maharashtra also said,”Last four years as the president of BJP in Maharashtra,RSS is part of my life conviction. But RSS leaders never direct me,never give me any instruction. And even as BJP president,I am taking my own decisions.” “Some people there are keeping this image that RSS is controlling BJP. This is not the correct thing. They (RSS) never interfere in our day-to-day activities,never interfere in the selection of candidates and politics,” Gadkari said.

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However,Gadkari maintained that BJP and RSS have an “ideological relationship” and the party often discusses issues with the latter.

The BJP president described Bhagwat and former RSS Chief K S Sudarshan as a democratic leader with whom he discussed issues often and had differences on several occasions. Gadkari said as BJP president he could follow his path.

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