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The race for the deputy prime minister’s chair in the event of a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led government seems to be hotting up. Madhya Pradesh Tourism Minister Surendra Patwa has said Sushma Swaraj could be the deputy prime minister if the party was voted to power at the Centre.
Last week, Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal had said during a rally in Amritsar that Arun Jaitley could be the next deputy PM. “If voted to power, he (Jaitley) will be deputy prime minister or finance minister”.
But the leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha had downplayed the comment. Jaitley had said he was not looking for any positions.
Patwa’s comments came on Wednesday at a meeting in Badi, Raisen district, about 100 km from here, in the presence of Swaraj, leader of the Opposition in the outgoing Lok Sabha. Patwa had made similar remarks at an election rally in Obaidullahganj, also in Raisen district, amid big cheers. Swaraj was present at that meeting too.
In Badi, Patwa introduced Swaraj as the next probable deputy PM. He said his remarks were only a reflection of the feelings of BJP workers in the constituency, which has elected biggies like Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan. Patwa is the nephew of former chief minister Sunderlal Patwa and a close aide of Chouhan.
