Farmer leader Kishor Tiwari makes renewed demand for Nitin Gadkari as prime minister

Mumbai: Veteran farmers’ leader Kishor Tiwari, the founder of Vidarbha Jan Andolan Samiti, is batting for Nitin Gadkari as the Prime Minister after Narendra Modi attains the age of 75.

According to Tiwari, Gadkari is an Ajat Shatru (one whose enemy is not born yet) and has acceptance among all.

Gadkari (68), the Nagpur MP and Union Road Transport and Highways Minister, is considered close to the RSS, the ideological fountainhead of the BJP.

Tiwari, the former Chairman of Maharashtra government’s Vasantrao Naik Sheti Swavlamban Mission, who was once considered close to the BJP, later joined the undivided Shiv Sena.

Lauding Gadkari, Tiwari has written a letter to RSS chief Dr Mohan Bhagwat.

While Bhagwat will turn 75 on 11 September, Modi will turn 75 on September 17.

This is the second time Tiwari is batting for Gadkari as PM - the earlier being in 2018 when BJP lost assembly elections in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Chhattisgarh.

Tiwari, who is based in Pandharkawada in Yavatmal, is one of the prominent faces of the farmers’ movement and has brought the issue of agrarian distress and farmers suicide in Vidarbha in the national and international fora.

In his letter to the RSS chief, Tiwari said that the country has given Modi a great opportunity to work for 11 years and as PM he has undertaken many impressive initiatives, including the building of the Ram temple in Ayodhya.

He pointed out that in 2014, Gadkari had the chance to become PM but the opportunity was snatched.

“Gadkari is known as a hardworking and a most performing minister of the BJP-led NDA government, who takes everyone along,” he said and urged that Gadkari should be given the opportunity to lead the country for the remaining 4 years before the 2029 Lok Sabha elections.

“A positive change should be brought to take the country forward under his leadership,” he said.

“It is because of the hard work done by Gadkari as the National President of BJP from 2008 to 2012 that there has been a change in the Central government in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections. While it was believed in 2012 that he is likely to become the Prime Minister, a conspiracy was hatched to prevent Gadkari from becoming the National President by making baseless allegations of alleged corruption,” Tiwari pointed out.

According to Tiwari, the RSS should give the “son of Maharashtra” a chance to become the Prime Minister.

“Gadkari is dedicated to RSS philosophy and his devotion to work, sincerity, transparency and efficiency is universally accepted, and now the time has come for the RSS to use its super veto to retire the existing PM, who has served the country for 75 years,” he urged in the letter.

“Compared to the good work done by the BJP-led government in the last 11 years, the working style of Narendra Modi-Amit Shah is creating an impression that capitalism and imperialism have taken over the policies in the government,” he said and regretted the induction of “corrupt Congressmen” in the BJP.