Nitin Gadkari Calls Party Workers 'Family' at BJP Foundation Day Event in Nagpur

Union Minister Lays Foundation Stone for New BJP Office, Emphasises Party's Legacy and Sacrifice of Workers​

Nagpur, April 6 – Union Minister Nitin Gadkari on Sunday underscored the emotional bond between political leaders and their party, stating that leaders should treat their party as family and consider party workers as family members. He made the remarks while addressing a gathering at the foundation stone-laying ceremony for the new Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) office in Nagpur, Maharashtra.

The event coincided with the BJP’s foundation day, marking 44 years since the party's inception on April 6, 1980.

Leaders Like Us Exist Due to Workers' Sacrifice: Gadkari​

Speaking alongside Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and BJP state president Chandrashekhar Bawankule, Gadkari paid tribute to the dedication of BJP workers, attributing his and Fadnavis’s political journeys to the relentless efforts of the party cadre.

“For a leader, his party should be like his family and the party workers like family members. You should love the party workers like you love your children,” said Gadkari.

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He also recalled the BJP's challenging early days, when the Congress allegedly spread misinformation to tarnish the image of the Jana Sangh, BJP, and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).

“There was a time when the Congress tried to propagate a wrong image of the Jana Sangh, BJP, and RSS in society. But we overcame that,” he asserted.

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“Being a BJP Worker is Our Identity”​

Rejecting any caste-based identity politics, Gadkari declared that one's caste does not define their worth.

“No one is big because of his caste. Being a BJP worker is our caste (identity),” he said.

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Gadkari reaffirmed the BJP’s core ideology, stating that nation-building remains at the heart of the party’s mission.

“The BJP's objective is the overall development of the nation. Nation comes first and above everything for us,” he emphasized.

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BJP's Journey: From Two Seats to Dominance​

Founded in 1980 by leaders of the erstwhile Bharatiya Jana Sangh, the BJP contested its first national election in 1984, securing just two Lok Sabha seats. However, the party saw rapid growth under the leadership of Atal Bihari Vajpayee and L. K. Advani, eventually forming a coalition government in the late 1990s.

In 2014, under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the BJP achieved a historic majority, a position it has maintained since.

Personal Contribution to Party Infrastructure​

Adding a personal gesture of commitment, Gadkari announced a donation of ₹25 lakh towards the construction of the new BJP office in Nagpur.

The event not only marked a step forward for the party’s infrastructure in Maharashtra but also served as a reminder of its deep-rooted ideological convictions and the people who built it from the ground up.