New Delhi: Union Home Minister Amit Shah will succeed Narendra Modi as prime minister after 2034, BJP’s Lok Sabha MP Manoj Tiwari has said.
Speaking to ThePrint, Tiwari predicted that in the 2029 Lok Sabha elections, the NDA will remain firm, and the BJP alone will get more than 272 seats—the majority mark.
Asked about the upcoming Bihar elections, he exuded confidence in the NDA alliance returning to power.
Stressing that PM Modi will continue to be the face of the party till 2034, Tiwari, who is the Lok Sabha MP from Northeast Delhi, said Shah has all the qualities to be Modi’s successor. “I think till 2034, Modi ji will be the Prime Minister. In the 2034 elections, he will also be the BJP’s candidate for Prime Minister. May God continue to shower his blessings on him and may he remain healthy.”
“Many people will come forward (to be PM’s successor). But after Modi ji, Amit Shah ji is first. There are no two opinions on this,” he added.
Last week, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat had said there is no fixed retirement age in the RSS, following a controversy over his earlier remark that one should retire at the age of 75. The Opposition had latched on to his words and called it a veiled reference to the prime minister, who turns 75 this month.
Tiwari also showered praises on PM Modi’s recent meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin and with China’s Xi Jinping, and watched the interaction play out via social media, adding that he was impressed with the Indian PM’s aura.
“What a move of Modi ji, what speed. The confidence, the energy—may Ma Bhagwati keep it that way. I am quite hopeful that PM Modi ji will complete his 2034 tenure. And you will see the speed of this country, even in 2029, it will be visible. The possibilities ahead are very strong,” he said.
Tiwari further said: “Right now, we are not seeing anything beyond Modi ji. The aura that is there because of Modi ji, and the way Amit Shah has executed the ideas of PM Modi as Home Minister—salute to Amit Shah ji. Today, a sailing competition is being held in Dal Lake, and a Tiranga competition is being held in Lal Chowk. Elections have been held peacefully in J&K. By 2026, the elimination of Naxals from the country will be achieved. The way the entire country is feeling safe, the way Modi ji’s partner Amit Shah ji has earned trust.”
Tiwari was quick to add that there are many capable leaders in the party, and when the time comes, many more will come forward. “After that (Modi’s successor), Amit Shah ji. After that, Yogi ji, Fadnavis ji. Many candidates are there in the country, and many will come forward. Yogi Adityanath ji is doing wonderful work, and Devendra Fadnavis is doing great work. Mohan Yadav and Nayan Saini are also working hard.”
The Lok Sabha MP went to say that the NDA partners share an “amazing bond.”
“Not even once did we feel that we needed to think before making any big decision. And the credit goes to Chandrababu Naidu ji, Nitish Kumar ji, Chirag Paswan ji and our other allies,” he said.
Asked whether he or the party felt any dissent from fellow NDA colleagues, Tiwari claimed there is a different kind of confidence when one’s party has a clear majority. “We didn’t feel any pressure, even though we thought there would be. When the Waqf Board issue came up and they understood that the Muslim community would actually benefit from a small change in the Waqf Board law, they stood with us.”
Reflecting on the NDA’s performance in last year’s Lok Sabha election, he said: “We think the public made a mistake, but in truth, we are the ones who failed to explain it to them. If someone was at fault, it was us. The public—well, it’s you, it’s us, it’s like family. The public can be confused for a while, but we failed to bring them out of that confusion—so the mistake is ours.”
(Edited by Insha Jalil Waziri)
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