‘Modi may not be PM by 2026 end’: Arvind Kejriwal at Sanjay Raut launch | India News

New Delhi: AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal on Monday claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi cannot remain in office beyond 2026, as opposition leaders launched a massive attack on the BJP-led Center during the launch of Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut’s book ‘Unlikely Paradise’ in the national capital.Speaking at the event, Kejriwal said, “Prime Minister Narendra Modi may not be Prime Minister by the end of 2026. He and Amit Shah are going, and their rule is going to end…”He added that his “heart and political understanding” indicated that PM Modi would not be able to continue as prime minister by 2026, asserting that “both Modi and Shah’s reigns will end.”Kejriwal also accused the government of losing its grip on public discourse, especially on social media. “At one time, people even had to go to jail for memes against PM Modi. Today, social media is full of criticism, which reflects his decline in popularity,” he said.Targeting the electoral process, the former Delhi chief minister alleged that elections were “won through corruption” and cited his own experience. He claimed that before his imprisonment, he got about 1.48 lakh votes, but after his release, about 42,000 votes were “deleted” resulting in a narrow defeat by a margin of about 3,000 votes. He added that he had earlier won the same seat by a margin of 30,000 votes and accused the ruling party of “cheating to win the election.“Kejriwal also criticized institutions, saying, “Modi’s popularity is waning, but he still wins the election. Who is responsible? It is the EC.”He added, “Everyone should read this book. The Modi government has included all the dishonest people in its party and jailed all the honest ones.” The way they (BJP) won elections by abusing the Election Commission is not good for the country.Several opposition leaders echoed similar concerns at the event held at the Constitution Club of India’s Mavalankar Hall, attended by Kapil Sibal, Digvijoy Singh, Jaya Bachchan and Derek O’Brien.Trinamool Rajya Sabha leader Derek O’Brien said, “The people of Bengal will not be defeated on May 4, insulting Modi and Shah… The next big one will be in Uttar Pradesh in February 2027… these two are going to happen.” He also claimed that in West Bengal, his party “didn’t let the EC do the trick.”Congress leader Digvijay Singh said ED and EC are “two sides of the same coin”. He further said, “Modi and Shah can never win if EC prepares machine readable voter list and elects by ballot.”“This is the biggest slap in the face of the government,” said AAP leader Sanjay Singh, who was arrested in the liquor policy case, noting that not a single rupee was found at Kejriwal’s or any AAP leader’s residence.Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal questioned the role of the Enforcement Directorate, saying, “They are actually violating the law because they have no concern for human rights.”Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut, whose book is based on his jail experience, said, “We will wait, and those responsible will be sent there (jail) one day.”Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Arvind Sawant defended Raut, saying, “Sanjay Raut is a ‘sher’ (lion). The brutality meted out to him was not due process of law. It was just oppression. Even the British never committed such atrocities as these people are doing.” Referring to the book, he added, “The book he wrote describing this experience has been read on stage today in both Hindi and English…”Separately, Raut also criticized the Centre’s silence on the escalating US-Israel versus Iran conflict. “No one can say what is India’s role. This war (US-Israel vs Iran conflict) has reached a very dangerous turn. India is a country of 1.4 billion people, but till date, PM Modi has not expressed his views on this war. What is the fear? They should say what is our role and what we are going to do next,” he said.O’Brien also alleged that several people facing legal action avoided jail after joining the BJP. He said he “meets 15-20 people every day in Parliament, who were supposed to be in jail, but joined the BJP and didn’t go to jail.”