Delhi:
On Thursday, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal upheld his belief that Amit Shah will succeed Narendra Modi as prime minister when Modi is 75 in 2025. During a joint press conference with Samajwadi Party chairman Akhilesh Yadav in Lucknow, Kejriwal observed that, while Amit Shah and several other politicians objected to his comments on Modi’s age and retirement, Modi himself never stated that he would not retire at 75. “The entire country believes that Modi will adhere to his retirement rule at 75,” Kejriwal said.
He stated that the stage has been prepared for Amit Shah to become prime minister, with the BJP ruling out prospective contenders Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Dr. Raman Singh, Vasundhara Raje, Manohar Lal Khattar, and Devendra Fadnavis. Kejriwal said that Yogi Adityanath, the final major competitor, would be ousted within 2-3 months, noting that no BJP leader disputed his remarks against Adityanath, signaling his impending departure. Kejriwal further stated that if the BJP wins the election, their main intention is to abolish reservations. In his first rally after being freed from Tihar, Kejriwal said that voting for the BJP would practically mean voting for Amit Shah as the next prime minister, given that Modi will be 75 in 2025, and party rules prohibit anyone over that age from holding any position. In response, Amit Shah denied Kejriwal’s allegation, asserting that Narendra Modi would complete his tenure and lead the party beyond 2029. Shah accused Kejriwal of creating unnecessary confusion and highlighted that there is no ambiguity about the party’s leadership. “I’d want to warn Arvind Kejriwal and his associates that they don’t need to be delighted about Modi turning 75. It is not stated in the BJP constitution that he cannot be Prime Minister. He will continue to serve as Prime Minister till his term is over. There is no confusion in the party,” Shah stated.
