He also told the voters that he would work for everybody, those who vote for him as well as those who do not, Gadkari added.

“I have this experience that even small people can sense good things, and that is why politicians should remain positive and always speak truth with confidence,” he said.

The minister of road transport and highways also said there was no dearth of funds in his department.

“Funds are not a constraint. The only constraint is that they are not being spent. In this country, there is no dearth of funds, technology. The only constraint is the lack of people who will work honestly for the country. If these people decide to work, then there will not be any problem,” Gadkari said.

The Lokmanya Tilak National Award is conferred by the Lokmanya Tilak Smarak Trust (Hind Swarajya Sangh) every year. Its past recipients include Prime Minister Narendra Modi and late Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.