Rubbishing Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut’s claim that Prime Minister Narendra Modi might retire in September this year, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said on Monday that there “is no need to search” for Modi’s successor, “He is our leader and will continue” and that he would return as prime minister in 2029.
Hours after Raut went to town saying that Modi had gone to the RSS headquarters on Sunday to “announce his retirement” as the Prime Minister, Fadnavis said, “There is no need to search for his successor. He (Modi) is our leader and will continue... In 2029, we will see Modi as the prime minister again”.
On a day when senior RSS leader Suresh ‘Bhaiyyaji’ Joshi said he was not aware of any talk of PM’s replacement, Fadnavis said, “In our culture, when the father is alive, it is inappropriate to talk about succession. That is Mughal culture. The time has not come to discuss it.”
Earlier, Raut had stirred up the hornet’s nest by saying that Modi went to the RSS headquarters to write his retirement application. He said that Modi might retire from active politics “when he turns 75 in September this year”.
Raut also claimed that Modi’s successor would be from Maharashtra. “The RSS will decide as to who will be Modi’s successor.”
“He (Modi) probably went to RSS headquarters to write his retirement application in September,” Raut had claimed. “From what I understand the ‘Sangh Parivar’ wants a change in the country’s leadership. PM Modi’s time is over. They want a change and want to choose the next BJP chief,” Raut said.
Meanwhile, RSS leader Suresh ‘Bhaiyyaji’ Joshi also ruled out the possibility of Modi hanging up his boots. When asked about Raut’s claim, Joshi said, “I don’t have any such information…” Expressing his happiness over Modi’s visit to the RSS headquarters on Sunday, Joshi said: “Yesterday’s programmes went well. We all are happy. His (Modi’s) interest in service was evident during the COVID period.
“I feel that his coming here yesterday and laying the foundation stone for Madhav Netralaya centre building has elevated the institute’s stature. Similarly, his visit as a swayamsevak (RSS volunteer) to Reshimbagh on the occasion of Sangh founder KB Hedgewar’s birth anniversary was very nice,” Joshi said.
This is the second time in recent months when speculation about Modi’s possible retirement as the Prime Minister is being discussed. It may be recalled that the former chief minister of Delhi Arvind Kejriwal had earlier flagged the issue of Modi’s retirement in May last year.
Talking to media persons in May last year, Kejriwal had said: “”PM Modi is turning 75 on 17th September, 2025. He made a rule that leaders in the party would retire after 75 years. Lal Krishna Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi, Sumitra Mahajan, and Yashwant Sinha were retired and now PM Modi is going to retire on 17th September, 2025” he said.
Ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha poll outcome, Kejriwal had said: “If their government is formed, they will first dispose of Yogi Adityanath and then make Amit Shah the Prime Minister of the country. PM Modi is asking for votes for Amit Shah. Will Amit Shah fulfil Modi’s guarantees?”.
