A leader must own up to his failures: Gadkari

PUNE: Union Minister for Road Transport & Highways, Shipping & Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation Nitin Gadkari said on Saturday that just like any leadership takes credit for victories, it should also be prepared to own up the responsibility of failure, according to DNA website.

In a public statement that assumes significance in the wake of the dismal performance of his party, the BJP, in the recent Assembly elections, he remarked, "Unless the leader owns up to the responsibility of the failures also, he cannot prove his loyalty towards his organization." Gadkari, however, did not specifically name anybody, DNA website noted.

It was in a speech to banking sector officials at a Pune District Urban Cooperative Bank Association programme that Gadkari gave an example of the concept of leadership in politics. "Like taking credit for the success, the leadership should also take responsibility for the defeats. Unless you own up to the defeats too, the leader cannot show his loyalty towards the organization," DNA quoted Gadkari as saying.

The Union minister and former BJP president's comments come at a time when his name is doing the rounds as a possible BJP candidate for the prime minister's chair after the 2019 Lok Sabha elections — in case his party falls short of an absolute majority in the House.

"In politics, success has many fathers but failure is considered an orphan. In case of success, there will be a race to take credit but in case of failure, nobody will come forward and everyone will start pointing fingers at each other," DNA quoted Gadkari as saying.

"If any candidate loses elections, he starts complaining like he did not get adequate support in terms of getting banners, arranging political rallies. However, I tell such candidates that they lost because they could not get enough support from the people," the minister concluded.