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‘No Choice…': Nishikant Dubey Says BJP Needs PM Modi In 2029 Polls

‘No Choice…': Nishikant Dubey Says BJP Needs PM Modi In 2029 Polls

News1817-07-2025
BJP's Nishikant Dubey sees PM Modi as the party's leader for 15-20 years, claiming BJP won't win 150 seats in 2029 without him. He also spoke on Thackeray brothers and Owaisi.
BJP leader Nishikant Dubey has said that he considers Prime Minister Narendra Modi as the party's central leader for the next 15-20 years as the party won't be able to secure a good margin in the 2029 Lok Sabha polls if the latter won't be projected as the party's face.
In a two-minute teaser of interview shared by ANI, the Godda MP expressed his views on varied issues and topics, ranging from his controversial remark on Thackeray brothers, Operation Bluestar and his 'love-hate" relationship with AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi.
BJP Needs PM Modi
In the interview with the news agency, the BJP MP said that he only sees Narendra Modi as the central leader for the next 15-20 years. He even claimed that if PM Modi won't be projected as the BJP's face, the saffron camp won't be able to win even 150 seats in the general elections.
He said that BJP has no choice other than PM Modi to contest the 2029 Lok Sabha elections in his name.
When asked about Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat's recent remarks suggesting that leaders should step aside at the age of 75, Dubey said that this does not apply to PM Modi as the party needs him to be in power rather than PM Modi requiring BJP.
The BJP MP further said that a political party functions on the basis of personality cult.
Remark on Thackerays
The BJP MP also spilled the beans about his recent controversial remark on Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray over the ongoing language row in Maharashtra where he dared the 'bahut bade boss' to come out of the state and said, ' Tumko patak patak ke maarenge" (you will be thrashed badly, again and again).
Dubey said he being a lawmaker, he won't take the law in his hands, but the people of whichever state the Thackeray brothers will visit, will thrash them.
Dubey's comments came in response to Raj Thackeray's comment on the victory rally in Mumbai earlier this month, where he told his party workers to beat those who don't speak Marathi, but not to record videos of such incidents.
Love-Hate Relationship With Owaisi
Dubey also revealed about the relationship and bond he shares with his arch rival and AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi.
During the interview, he said that he shares a cheerful and friendly bond with Owaisi for a long time. Dubey said that Owaisi is a family friend of him for years.
The two firebrand leaders from rival parties were part of a seven-member delegation, headed by BJP MP Baijayant Panda, that travelled to Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain and Algeria as part of India's global outreach in the aftermath of the Pahalgam attack and India's response, Operation Sindoor.
Before the team-up, Owaisi had slammed Dubey for his remarks on the Supreme Court. Following the apex court's landmark ruling on Tamil Nadu, which effectively imposed a deadline for the President and governors to approve Bills passed twice by the legislature, Dubey had said, 'Parliament and State Assemblies should be shut," noting that the Supreme Court was overstepping its boundaries.
Dubey began his political journey in 2009, and has won the Godda Lok Sabha constituency in every election since then. From the Supreme Court and former Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna to, his latest political row challenging the Thackerays—Dubey's diatribes have targeted all and sundry.
(With inputs from ANI)
About the Author
Shobhit Gupta
Shobhit Gupta is a sub-editor at News18.com and covers India and International news. He is interested in day to day political affairs in India and geopolitics. He earned his BA Journalism (Hons) degree from Ben...Read More
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