Won't return to state politics: Union Minister

Nagpur: Ruling out his return to state politics, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari on Tuesday said the BJP will have an unprecedented victory in tomorrow's Maharashtra Assembly elections.

The BJP is likely to get an absolute majority and in terms of number of seats it could be between 150 to 160, including 40 to 45 in Vidarbha region, Gadkari said here on the eve of polling day.

When asked if he was in the race for chief ministership, the Union Transport and Shipping Minister said there is no dearth of party leaders capable of occupying the coveted post.

"I am not in the race for chief ministership as I am not interested in returning to state politics, and there are many capable leaders (for the top post)," he said. The party central leadership will decide the name of the legislative party leader after the polls, the BJP's former national president said, but declined to name any front runner.

Gadkari, who addressed about 64 public meetings across Maharashtra in the run-up to the polls, said the BJP-led government at the Centre along with the BJP government in the state (if formed after the Assembly polls) would expedite the development of the prestigious Multi Modal International Cargo Hub and Airport at Nagpur (MIHAN).

Blaming former Chief Minister Prithiviraj Chavan for the slow pace of work on MIHAN project, he said the erstwhile Congress-NCP government totally failed to develop it