Modi will be PM again in 2029, says Fadnavis, trashes Raut's 'retirement' claim

Nagpur/Mumbai: Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Monday dismissed speculation about Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s future, asserting that he would continue leading the country beyond 2029. Responding to Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut’s claim that Modi had visited the RSS headquarters to signal his retirement, Fadnavis stated in Nagpur, "In 2029, we will see Modi as the Prime Minister again."

Senior RSS leader Suresh ‘Bhaiyyaji’ Joshi also denied any discussion about Modi’s successor, stating, "There is no need to search for his replacement. He is our leader and will continue to lead."

Fadnavis criticised Raut’s remarks, arguing that discussing succession while a leader is still active goes against Indian culture, reported PTI. "When the father is alive, it is inappropriate to talk about succession. That is Mughal culture," he said, rejecting the notion that Modi’s successor would emerge from Maharashtra.

Meanwhile, Raut claimed the RSS was pushing for a change in leadership, suggesting that Modi’s visit to the headquarters was related to the Sangh's "75-year norm" for retirement. Modi, currently in his third term as PM, turns 75 in September.

Joshi, however, dismissed these claims, saying he had no information about any leadership transition. On Modi’s visit to Dr. Hedgewar Smruti Mandir at Reshimbagh, he remarked, "His presence elevated the institution’s stature. His dedication to service was evident during the COVID period, and his visit as an RSS swayamsevak on Hedgewar's birth anniversary was significant."

This was Modi’s first visit to the RSS headquarters in Nagpur since becoming Prime Minister. He described the Sangh as the "banyan tree of India’s immortal culture." Before him, Atal Bihari Vajpayee had visited the premises in 2000 during his third term as Prime Minister.

The RSS, currently marking its centenary year, continues to hold key influence in the BJP’s ideological framework.