When PM Modi visited the RSS headquarters rumours about him were spread by Sanjay Raut of the Uddhav Thackeray Sena and on social media.
NEW DELHI: Do the world’s most powerful leaders, such as Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin, and Xi Jinping, face acceptance or rejection based on age, not only by the people of America, Russia, and China but also by the entire world? Trump is over 79, while Putin and Xi Jinping are both over 70. At present, apart from Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who in India, whether in power or opposition, truly understands the strengths and weaknesses of these superpowers and can communicate with them while balancing India’s interests? The people of India and the world are also aware of Modi’s immense popularity within the country. Perhaps this is why some of his staunch opponents, certain organisations, or foreign powers are raising baseless discussions about Modi stepping down from the post of Prime Minister once he turns 75 in September. These rumours are being spread, suggesting that in 2014, he or the BJP had imposed this age limit for key positions. However, if one searches through the print, audio, and video records from not just the last 10 but the last 15 years, there will be no clear statement supporting such a claim.
Furthermore, if we examine the age records of former Prime Ministers or top contenders for the position over the decades, we find that age has never been an obstacle. Morarji Desai, the Janata Party Prime Minister, who assumed power in 1977 after the emergency, was 81 years old. Had there been no rebellion within the party, he could have served until the age of 86. Similarly, Chaudhary Charan Singh, who became Prime Minister in 1979 with Congress’s deceptive support, was 76 years old. Inder Kumar Gujral, who became Prime Minister in 1997 with the support of old Congress Communists, was 77 years old at the time. When Atal Bihari Vajpayee of the BJP became Prime Minister again in 1999, he was 74, turning 79 by the time he left office
Yes, the incumbent Prime Minister and his party must prepare a second line of leadership for the future. History is a witness that overly ambitious leaders cannot rise to the position of Prime Minister through manipulation or conspiracies. Even if they do, they cannot hold onto the position for long. Journalists like us have witnessed the rise and fall of top contenders within the Congress, such as Yashwantrao Chavan, Jagjivan Ram, Hemvati Nandan Bahuguna, Sharad Pawar, and Arjun Singh. When Vishwanath Pratap Singh became Prime Minister after toppling Rajiv Gandhi’s government with a huge majority, how long did he stay and what was the fate of his party?
One of the reasons behind this current controversy can indeed be traced to certain past political decisions made by the BJP, though the BJP has never written down an age limit for top posts. In the past, leaders such as L.K. Advani, Sumitra Mahajan, and Murli Manohar Joshi retired from politics after reaching the age of 75. During the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, rumours about Modi’s retirement upon turning 75 were spread by leaders like Arvind Kejriwal. However, senior leaders Amit Shah and Rajnath Singh firmly denied these rumours.
In a press conference, Shah stated, “I would like to tell Arvind Kejriwal and his supporters, as well as the entire I.N.D.I.A bloc, that there is no reason for you to be happy about Modi turning 75. There is nothing in the BJP constitution that mandates retirement at that age. Modi will complete his term and continue to lead the country. There is no confusion within the BJP on this matter.”
According to the Indian Constitution, the Prime Minister must be at least 25 years old to be elected to the Lok Sabha or 30 years old to be elected to the Rajya Sabha, but there is no provision regarding the maximum age or mandatory retirement for the Prime Minister.
This matter has been in discussion since 2014. In 2016, Gujarat’s then Chief Minister Anandiben Patel requested the party leadership in a Facebook post, written in Gujarati, to relieve her of her responsibilities, as she was about to turn 75. This decision was linked to the informal rule within the party regarding leaders over 75. She, along with leaders like Kalraj Mishra, went on to serve as governors. Similarly, in July 2016, Najma Heptulla resigned from the Union Cabinet at the age of 76. Several other senior leaders, such as Yashwant Sinha, former Uttarakhand CM B.C. Khanduri, Jaswant Singh, Arun Shourie, Lalji Tandon, Kalyan Singh, and Keshari Nath Tripathi, also moved away from active politics due to age. On the other hand, despite crossing 75, B.S. Yediyurappa was made Chief Minister in Karnataka.
When Modi visited the RSS headquarters in Nagpur and attended a programme with Sarsanghchalak Mohan Bhagwat, rumours of Modi’s retirement plans were spread by Shiv Sena’s Sanjay Raut of the Uddhav Thackeray faction and on social media. In response, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis emphasised that Narendra Modi would remain the Prime Minister even in 2029. Fadnavis stated that this wasn’t a reaction to Sanjay Raut’s remarks but reflected the future political direction of the BJP. He referred to Modi as the “father of the BJP” and asserted that there is no discussion of a successor while the father is alive. Drawing a comparison, he said that in Mughal culture, successor discussions take place while the father is still alive, but in the BJP’s case, Modi is the “man of the family” and will continue to lead.
It was already felt that the informal 75-year-old principle, which had led to the retirement of some BJP leaders, would not apply to Modi. He is not only implementing the principles of the Sangh and the ideals of Hindutva, but he is also at the peak of his popularity due to the implementation of various public welfare schemes. Fadnavis’s statements have now confirmed this.