New Delhi, August 29, 2025: Speculation that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will retire after turning 75 on September 17 has been firmly dismissed by both the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat, who turns 75 just days before the Prime Minister, clarified Thursday that there is no retirement rule linked to age within the Sangh or the BJP. “I never said I will retire or that someone else should retire when they turn 75. In the Sangh, we are swayamsevaks… we are given a job, whether we want it or not. I will continue even if I am 80 years old,” he said, as the RSS marks its centenary year.
BJP Rejects ‘75-Year Rule’ Theory
The BJP has repeatedly denied speculation about an internal rule forcing leaders over 75 to step aside. The government itself includes senior leaders above that mark, including 80-year-old Jitan Ram Manjhi, the MSME Minister.
Home Minister Amit Shah had also clarified last year that “there is no provision regarding age, anywhere in the Constitution of the BJP.” The 75-year cut-off, Shah said, was a 2019 electoral decision when the party did not field candidates older than that age, leading to veterans like LK Advani and Murli Manohar Joshi being sidelined.
Opposition Keeps Taunting
Despite clarifications, the opposition has kept targeting Mr Modi on the issue. AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal claimed last year that Modi was “seeking votes to make Amit Shah the next Prime Minister,” while Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut recently alleged Modi’s visit to Nagpur — his first to RSS headquarters in 11 years — was linked to writing his “retirement application.”
The BJP hit back swiftly. Maharashtra Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis dismissed the talk, declaring: “In 2029 we will see Modi as Prime Minister again.”
RSS Jabs BJP Over Party President Delay
Meanwhile, the RSS did aim a light jab at the BJP over its ongoing search for a new national president, widely expected before the upcoming Bihar Assembly polls. Asked if the RSS was controlling the process, Bhagwat replied: “If we were deciding, it wouldn’t have taken so long.”
According to party sources, the delay has been due to wide consultations with senior leaders of both BJP and RSS, but a final decision is expected soon.
