New Delhi : Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal asserted on Thursday that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is not soliciting votes for himself but rather to pave the way for Amit Shah to become the next Prime Minister, slated for May 2025.
Speaking jointly with Samajwadi Party President Akhilesh Yadav at the SP office, Kejriwal alleged that if Modi secures victory, he would oust Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath within two months. Kejriwal also mentioned the projected formation of an INDIA coalition government on June 4.
Highlighting Modi’s purported retirement plans, Kejriwal pointed out that the retirement age for BJP leaders is set at 75, citing examples of Sumitra Mahajan, Murli Manohar Joshi, and Lal Krishna Advani. He speculated that Modi, turning 75 in September next year, would pave the way for Amit Shah, having previously cleared hurdles like Vasundhara Raje and Shivraj Singh Chauhan.
Kejriwal claimed BJP’s diminishing seat count across several states and predicted the party winning no more than 220 seats in the ongoing elections, particularly emphasizing a projected defeat in Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, and Punjab.
Meanwhile, Akhilesh Yadav contended that BJP’s prospects are bleak, especially in the four phases where voting is completed, suggesting that the party’s slogan of crossing 400 seats belies an actual estimate of around 140 seats.
Sanjay Singh, AAP’s Rajya Sabha MP, highlighted incidents of alleged misconduct, including the mistreatment of a Kargil warrior’s wife in Manipur and accused the Prime Minister of backing those responsible. However, when questioned about the Swati Maliwal incident, Singh’s response lacked clarity.
The AAP has recently faced criticism following allegations by its Rajya Sabha member Swati Maliwal against Kejriwal’s aide, Bibhav Kumar, of misbehavior, with the party’s senior leader Sanjay Singh vowing strict action against him.
