RSS to decide: Who will succeed Narendra Modi as India's next Prime Minister?

Following Prime Minister Narendra Modi's recent trip to Nagpur, talk has heated up in political circles. Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Sanjay Raut has made a huge statement after meeting RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat in Nagpur. According to him, Modi will retire in September and the RSS will decide his successor. Shiv Sena chief Sanjay Raut on Saturday stated that the next prime minister will be a Maharashtrian and the Sangh's choice will hold good for the BJP national president post as well. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday called on the RSS headquarters in Nagpur where he offered tributes to the RSS founders and met RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat. But post his visit, Sanjay Raut made fresh guesses connecting it with politics. 

Sanjay Raut's assertion

Shivaji Maharaj's dynasty will give birth to the next PM to replace PM Modi, carrying forward the legacy of Chhatrapati. The RSS will also allegedly approve this move. In addition, the selection of the BJP national president will also see the involvement of the RSS. PM Modi's recent visit to Nagpur after a gap of ten years has raised eyebrows over his motives. Raut claims that PM Modi's term is coming to an end and a new chapter is going to unfold. 

Devendra Fadnavis' rebuke 

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis came down heavily on Sanjay Raut's assertions. According to Fadnavis, PM Modi will be in power till 2029. Fadnavis made it clear that the Indian system is not of the Mughal pattern, where successors are prepared while the current chief remains in power. Fadnavis made it clear that he is not a prime ministerial candidate either.

"No differences between PM and Sangh"

RSS leader Suresh Bhaiyyaji Joshi also spoke on the issue. "Prime Minister Modi is undertaking great works and stands fully behind the Sangh. When questioned whether there were any differences between PM Modi and the RSS, he explained, "There is nothing like that, it is merely media fiction. There is no distance between the RSS and the Prime Minister."

Political significance of Nagpur visit

Was the visit of PM Modi to RSS headquarters and greeting Bhagwat a formality or some broader strategy behind this? Sanjay Raut's assertion has evoked a doubt whether Sangh is going to bring big transformation in the BJP now? Modi can he withdraw from active politics after 2024? So far, this is just speculating but amidst the 2024 election backdrop, this saying can surely churn up the politics.