Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Nishikant Dubey confidently said that if Prime Minister Narendra Modi stops leading BJP, the party will not get even 150 seats in the parliament. Currently, the BJP holds 240 seats in the Lok Sabha.
While speaking with news agency ANI, Dubey added that he views only Modi as the country’s leader for the next 15-20 years and that the BJP wins elections on his name.
On the question of who could succeed Modi as the country’s and the party’s leader, Dubey said, “For the next 15-20 years, I can only see Modi, and it is not only because he is the Prime Minister…”
Backing his remark, Dubey added that ever since Modi came into power in 2014, the BJP has gained a votebank which was never in its favour - the poor people.
“When PM Modi came, a vote bank which was never with BJP, especially the poor section of society, shifted towards the party and their devotion shifted to Modi ji. Today, Modi ji is Prime Minister for the third time,” he said.
BJP's 'compulsion'
Nishikant Dubey added that it is BJP’s majboori (compulsion) that it will have to fight the 2029 general election under Modi’s leadership.
{{/usCountry}}Nishikant Dubey added that it is BJP’s majboori (compulsion) that it will have to fight the 2029 general election under Modi’s leadership.
{{/usCountry}}“If PM Modi is not our leader, then mark my words, the BJP will not be able to win even 150 seats. It is BJP’s majboori (compulsion) that it has to contest 2029 elections also under the leadership of Modi. Today, people like and the workers need Modi, he doesn’t need us,” Dubey said.
Suggesting that age is not a barrier when it comes to holding the position of Prime Minister, Dubey gave the example of Morarji Desai, who was made the PM when he was 82.
“If you want a developed India by 2047, you should choose Modiji till he’s well. And it has happened before, at the age of 83, Morarji Desai was made the Prime Minister,” Dubey said.
Dubey’s statement comes amid talks whether Modi will step down as PM once he turns 75 in September, in lines with BJP’s ideological parent Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), whose chief Mohan Bhagwat recently said that leaders should step down after turning 75 to make way for others.