With uncertainty looming over Prime Minister Narendra Modi's future as the BJP failed to secure the 272-seat mark in the Lok Sabha election, former Union Minister and BJP leader Subramanian Swamy criticized PM Modi for the party's performance.
Despite the NDA winning over 290 seats, the suspense surrounding PM Modi's third term intensified after Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar was seen on the same flight as RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav. It is believed that Nitish Kumar may ditch the BJP to rejoin the INDIA Bloc. If this happens, and TDP chief Chandrababu Naidu, who congratulated PM Modi after the results were declared, also chooses to switch sides, it will ruin Narendra Modi's chances of becoming PM for a third time.
It is not just external parties that could stop Modi from becoming PM; leaders within the BJP are openly asking Modi to step aside after the party's poor performance this time.
BJP veteran Subramanian Swamy criticized Modi on social media, saying, "Modi must step aside since BJP led by him fell below the majority of 272, at or around 240. Any self-respecting leader would resign and not wait to be pushed out."
In another tweet, he wrote, "In the past, e.g., 1989-90, 1998-2004, BJP was in coalition but came to grief and were disasters for BJP. Now again Modi wants to be PM in a coalition, which is after 10 years (2014-2024) of Hindutva. BJP hence should sit in opposition and reduce the I.N.D.I.A government to dust."
Yesterday, on June 4, expressing disappointment over BJP's performance, Swamy said, "My estimate of 220 for BJP, a low estimate, has turned out to be very close to the truth of 237. Had the BJP followed the suggestions I made, they could have achieved 300. Unfortunately, Modi's dictatorial mindset has put the BJP in a ditch from which it now has to climb out."
According to media reports, TDP chief Chandrababu Naidu has reached Delhi to participate in an NDA meeting.