Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) President Amit Shah on Wednesday categorically denied any leadership change and said that the ruling NDA will contest the 2019 elections under Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
“No question of leadership change. The NDA will contest the 2019 elections under the leadership of Modiji,” Shah said, speaking at the ‘Surging India’ “Republic TV” summit.
“In 2014, the BJP had government in six states, now we have it in 16 states. So tell me who will win?” Shah shot back to a query by Republic TV head Arnab Goswami.
He added that state and central elections are fought on different issues and “the 2019 elections shall be fought on India…”
Shah’s statement assumes significance after a prominent Maharashtra farmers’ leader, the Vasantrao Naik Sheti Swavalamban Mission (VNSSM) Chairman Kishore Tiwari wrote to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat and general secretary Bhaiyyaji Suresh Joshi, demanding immediate replacement of an “arrogant” Modi with the “gentle” Nitin Gadkari if the BJP wants to win the next elections.
In a major setback for the ruling BJP, the Congress scripted a new narrative of its revival and resurgence in the country’s politics — especially in the crucial electoral politics of the Hindi heartland — just ahead of the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, wresting three states, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh, from the BJP.
The outcome of this round of Assembly polls, which could be a bellwether for the coming general elections, has clearly boosted the leadership profile of Congress president Rahul Gandhi who had all along been flayed for his party’s poor showings in state after state earlier.
(With inputs from IANS)