Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday praised outgoing Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan and said that she is one leader in the Bharatiya Janata Party who can reprimand him, reported PTI.
“All of you know me as prime minister,” said Modi. “But perhaps very few people know that in our party, if there is anybody who can admonish me, it is Tai.” Mahajan is popularly known as Tai in Indore constituency that she has represented since 1989. She is the longest-serving woman MP currently in Parliament.
Mahajan has this time opted out of the General Elections, but has said that she will campaign for the party. The BJP has fielded Shankar Lalwani, the chairperson of the Indore Development Authority, from the Indore parliamentary seat. The decision had reportedly upset Mahajan’s supporters.
Mahajan had said that there were speculations whether the BJP would field leaders above the age of 75. Mahajan turned 76 on April 12. The party has not given ticket this time to veterans such as LK Advani and Murli Manohar Joshi.
Speaking in Indore, Modi said he has worked with Mahajan extensively. “The kind of dedication she has towards work, I assure the people of Indore that in terms of development of the city, none of Tai’s wishes will be left unfulfilled,” added the prime minister. Mahajan was on the dais with him.
This is Lalwani’s first election. He is contesting against Congress’ Pankaj Sanghvi. Indore will vote in the last phase of the elections on May 19.
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