BJP national president Nitin Gadkari will be contesting his first direct election from Wardha parliamentary constituency in the next Lok Sabha poll, said a source close to the leader yesterday
BJP national president Nitin Gadkari will be contesting his first direct election from Wardha parliamentary constituency in the next Lok Sabha poll, said a source close to the leader yesterday. 
If Gadkari does contest the Lok Sabha poll, it will be his first popular election after he entered party politics in 1979 and became the BJP secretary of Vidarbha region. A hardcore RSS swayamsevak, Gadkari has not even fought state assembly elections so far, always remaining satisfied with a Legislative Council seat. A source close to the BJP president also claimed that a major Congress leader from Wardha parliamentary constituency had assured him that neither he nor his son would contest the election against Gadkari.
Gadkari, who hails from Nagpur, is likely to contest from Wardha as Nagpur is consideredu00a0 a stronghold of Congress MP Vilas Muttemwar, who has won the seat four consecutive times since 1998.
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BJP national president Nitin Gadkari will be contesting his first direct election from Wardha parliamentary constituency in the next Lok Sabha poll, said a source close to the leader yesterday. If Gadkari does contest the Lok Sabha poll, it will be his first popular election after he entered party politics in 1979 and became the BJP secretary of Vidarbha region. A hardcore RSS swayamsevak, Gadkari has not even fought state assembly elections so far, always remaining satisfied with a Legislative Council seat.
A source close to the BJP president claimed that a major Congress leader from Wardha parliamentary constituency had assured him that neither he nor his son would contest the election against Gadkari.u00a0As Gadkari spent the whole day in the city yesterday attending local events conducted by various city-based organisations, it gave rise to speculation that he would contest the 2014 Lok Sabha election from the city or a constituency near it.
Gadkari's influence in the city has strengthened over the past few years. Vikas Mathkari, who is considered a Gadkari loyalist, was made the city unit president of the BJP, and the icing on the cake came with Bhimrao Tapkir, another party politician from the Gadkari camp, winning the Khadakwasla assembly bypoll.u00a0
Scotching all rumours of Gadkari planning to contest from here, sources confirmed that Wardha would be his constituency of choice. Party insiders said the decision to contest a Lok Sabha election was taken by Gadkari after several party members pointed out that he had always been selected to all the important posts in the past and was never popularly elected. Many had even questioned his ability to win an election.
Gadkari, who hails from Nagpur, is likely to contest from Wardha as Nagpur is considered to be a stronghold of Congress MP Vilas Muttemwar, who has won the seat four consecutive times since 1998.
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