Union home minister Amit Shah had padded up to plug a score of “400”. Instead, he struggled to get past 75, a number suddenly rendered treacherous by the media’s unrelenting snorters, and eventually seemed to lose his cool.
“Now, sit down,” he snapped out as reporters grilled him over Arvind Kejriwal’s mischievous claim that if re-elected, Narendra Modi would step down as Prime Minister — in favour of Shah — after reaching the unwritten retirement age of 75 next year.
Shah was addressing the media in Hyderabad, looking to bolster the NDA’s claims about “400-plus” seats, after the closure of campaigning for the fourth phase of polling on Monday.
Kejriwal’s wrong ‘un, bowled over 1,500km away in Delhi, seemed to catch the BJP’s “Chanakya” off his guard.
“I want to tell Arvind Kejriwal and company, and the INDI Alliance, that they do not need to feel happy about Modiji turning 75. There is no such thing (retirement age) written in the BJP’s constitution. Modiji will complete this term and Modiji will continue to lead the country in the future,” Shah, widely regarded as the party Number Two, said.
“There is no such confusion in the BJP. They (the Opposition) want to create confusion,” he added.
Since Modi and Shah took control of the BJP in 2014, an unofficial rule about retiring leaders above the age of 75 has been widely implemented, barring a few exceptions.
It was this norm, used by Modi and Shah to sideline potential detractors, that Kejriwal sought to exploit. The AAP leader also suggested that if Modi wins the election, Yogi Adityanath — widely seen as Shah’s rival in any battle of succession — would be removed as Uttar Pradesh chief minister.
“Kejriwal has termed Prime Minister Modi an autocrat and alleged that he wants to end democracy. He (Kejriwal) also alleged that the way Modi ended the political career of Advaniji, similarly, in the next couple of months, Yogi Adityanath too would be sidelined,” a reporter said.
“Chaliye, aapke alawe aisi baaton ko koi nahi maanta hai (No one apart from you believes this kind of talk),” Shah said, sidestepping the question with a wan smile.
But the next question was on Kejriwal’s claim about Modi stepping down, to be succeeded by Shah. This time the home minister appeared a little hot under the collar.
“Bhaiya, magar ek baat samajh lo ki unki base ye hai ki Modiji badle jaayenge. Modiji ko badalna hi nahi hai, maine spasht kar diya, ab baith jao (Brother, his premise is that Modiji will be replaced. Modiji will not be replaced and I have made this very clear; now sit down),” Shah said, not allowing the reporter to complete his question.
The reporter sought to press his question again, and Shah again cut him short.
“Arre Bhai, mool kyon aisa bole hain ki pachhatar ke baad Modiji ko badlenge. Woh tay ho chuka hai, nahi badlenge (Come, come, brother, the main thing he said is that after Modi turns 75, he will be replaced. It has already been decided that he will not be replaced),” Shah said.
“Now, sit down,” he added irritably, gesturing with his hand.
The Telegraph had reported last month that a fear about Adityanath not being allowed to succeed Modi as Prime Minister was driving Rajput anger against the BJP in parts of Uttar Pradesh.
Kejriwal appeared to be playing on this fear, in the process flagging what is perceived to be an under-the-radar succession battle in the BJP.
