Union Minister Jagat Prakash Nadda has shared how Prime Minister Narendra Modi taught him that true political leadership lies in listening to the people. Ahead of the Prime Minister's 75th birthday, JP Nadda reflected on his time as Himachal Pradesh's Leader of Opposition during the mid-90s.
The senior BJP leader said the experience with PM Modi "changed [him]" and helped make what once seemed "impossible, possible" when the party won the state elections.
"Sometimes in politics, a guiding sentence can change the direction of an entire life," Mr Nadda wrote on X.
"When I was the Leader of the Opposition in Himachal Pradesh, Narendra Modi Ji was our state in-charge, and he asked me where I got the issues from for the Assembly," he said. Mr Nadda recalled telling the Prime Minister back then that he prepared Assembly questions by reading newspapers and making notes.
PM Modi reportedly smiled and advised, "Nadda Ji, the role of the opposition should not be limited just to the Assembly. The public should know that the Leader of the Opposition is available to sit among them, listen to their problems, and find solutions for them."
Following this advice, JP Nadda visited districts across Himachal Pradesh, engaging directly with farmers, youth, employees and workers.
"That experience changed me deeply," he said. Mr Nadda said that his style of debating changed, he gained a direct understanding of the people's issues, and developed the confidence that the opposition too can lead the state.
For the first time, JP Nadda said, he realised how much difference there is between the information from newspapers and the information from the people.
Reflecting on PM Modi's mentorship, Mr Nadda said, "One sentence, one lesson, can change the entire definition of politics. Narendra Modi Ji taught me exactly this: that the true leader is the one who sits among the people and listens to their heartbeats."
JP Nadda added that this approach helped BJP's image evolve beyond being seen merely as the opposition to becoming the true voice of the people. "When the elections came, we hadn't even thought that we would come to power, but Modi Ji's strategy and guidance made the impossible possible," Mr Nadda said.
JP Nadda served as the Leader of the Opposition in the Himachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly from 1994 to 1998. During this period, the Congress was in power in Himachal Pradesh, with Virbhadra Singh as the Chief Minister.
Mr Nadda's tribute comes as part of a series of reflections by leaders across the country ahead of PM Modi's 75th birthday on Wednesday.
