National and international political analysts were seeking answer for more than a decade and openly who after the first Indian Prime minister though answer was staring at them. Essentially they were seeking an answer whether his successor would be able to retain the same structure that Nehru had evolved in his three terms. 14 Prime Ministers followed him but none attempted a change. Then had arrived on the scene, Narendra Modi.

He began with the fundamental change in the formation to become the supreme boss in his council of ministers instead of being equal in the council. He reduced the stature of others and deprived them of political authority. In seven years of his tenure no minister was heard on any issue not even on issues related to their departmental work.

Only his home minister Ameet Shah had crossed the line demarcating the limits for minister when he spoke of the government proposal to prepare a register of Indian citizens and of the admissible evidence of birth certificate for acceptance of citizenship claims to cause consternation in the Muslim minds that he had to suffer humiliation of denial by the Prime Minister in public rally. He had to keep his tongue in his mouth for eleven months.

Even before attending his first meeting of the Council of Ministers, he had a meeting with 49 bureaucrats telling them to come to him if they came under the political pressure for something against their conscience. The message conveyed a basic change in his approach for governance. He conveyed that he would prefer them to their political boss. In the parliamentary system, bureaucrats have a role. Most IAS recruits normally come from educated middle classes while politicians came from varied classes. More than education, they political ability mattered as they had political ability to inspire their voters to support them.

The Prime Minister also closed his accessibility to all by introduction of internet route to send representations of all including personal complaints of injustice. Even Members of parliament hesitated to seek hi audience in person. IN seven years the parliamentary party meetings became a rare event as the Prime Minister showing least interest in giving his party men an opportunity to share their assessments. In previous era, Indira Gandhi maintained the routine of parliamentary party meetings before the start and on conclusions of every session but without giving an opportunity to members to share their experiences and assessments.

She was startled by defeat of her party in assembly polls in Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh in 1983. Both the states had given her overwhelming majority in 1977 and 1980 Lok Sabha polls. Modi also could not win several coastal states in his seven years. May be he was not moved or disturbed as he could not have his choices as chief ministers in the states he won. In 2017 his ability had brought unprecedented win in Uttar Pradesh assembly but his choice Manoj Sinha was ditched at the last minute in preference o Aditya Nath Yogi. Very few would have missed noticing that he never share the political platform with the BJP chief ministers as he did had the Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar in the last Bihar election campaign no once but in his all six election rallies in the state election.

That brings the second question to fore. Who will be his successor? NaMo was careful in his grooming with choice of his attire and well groomed facial appearance in his first terms. He seems to have suddenly given up his grooming appearance as his growing beard and his white attire suggests. Does it not mean he is determined to not to seek a third term? The sudden change in his attitude as his less grooming has made politicians and analysts to speculate over who after NaMo.

No one can miss the sudden interest displayed by the home minister Amit Shah to reach out grain growing farmers on war path over three new legislations. He was dormant, virtually in retirement mould for 11 months in 2020 after the public rebuke delivered by the Prime Minister over the citizenship registration move initiated by him. No one also could miss that the Prime Minister had not given him a role in his three ministers’ team for negotiations with striking farmers. He jumped into fray on his own.

But Nitin Gadkari is more favourite possibility due to his close relations with the Sangh chief Mohan Bhagwat Both are from same village and Gadkari served as the party chief for two terms. However the Prime Minister indicated his preference for Nitish Kumar, chief minister of Bihar by presenting him as his friend by sharing the political platform with only politician since his emergence in the national arena in 2013. Gadkari and Shah may have backing of the Sangh but it needs a majority support in parliamentary party. The Prime Minister NaMo was compelled to forget his electoral promise of rapid economic growth. For first 15 months he was striving for a new image not only for himself but also for India by elevating her economic strength to be recognized as the economic power.

The Sangh insisted on his return to old BJP. He was forced to climb down on his politics by proving he had no majority support. In the 2019 election he proved he was the leader not replaceable The Sangh did not expect him to win a mandate as he had no achievement to show. But he again won the mandate for the Modi government and not for the Sangh appendage. Mohan Bhagwat had declared in the public rally at Ranchi on March 11 that he did not recognize the party that stood in support of Modi. He cannot gulp down his words to have his nominee to follow. NaMo may not accept the pot but he can certainly play a vital role in the 2024 election.