On Monday, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut stirred controversy by claiming that Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the RSS headquarters in Nagpur on Sunday to “announce his retirement.” Raut also suggested that a private meeting had been held to discuss PM Modi’s successor, adding that the next Prime Minister would come from Maharashtra. This is not the first time speculation regarding Modi’s retirement has surfaced in the media.
Raut pointed out that Modi had not visited the RSS headquarters in Nagpur in the past 10-11 years, implying that his recent visit was significant and related to his future political plans. He also speculated that Modi might retire when he turns 75 in September 2025.
However, Maharashtra Chief Minister and BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis dismissed Raut’s claims. Fadnavis firmly stated that there was “no need to search” for a successor for Modi, asserting that the Prime Minister would continue in office through 2029. He further added, “In our culture, when the father is alive, it is inappropriate to discuss succession. That is Mughal culture. The time has not come to discuss it.”
Meanwhile, senior RSS leader Suresh ‘Bhaiyyaji’ Joshi, who was also in Nagpur, denied any knowledge of discussions regarding Modi’s replacement.
Does the BJP have a ‘retire at 75’ rule? As India prepared for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, speculation about PM Modi’s potential retirement upon turning 75 in September 2025 began to circulate. However, several prominent BJP leaders, including Amit Shah and Rajnath Singh, quickly dismissed these rumors.
The BJP has had a longstanding internal policy of not fielding candidates above the age of 75. Ahead of the 2019 elections, Amit Shah confirmed this rule, stating, “No one above 75 has been given tickets. This is the party’s decision.” However, reports from 2019 also suggested that the BJP leadership was willing to disregard this policy in favor of prioritizing winnability in elections.
In May 2024, Amit Shah reversed his earlier position, clarifying, “I want to clarify that there is no such provision in BJP’s constitution. Modi ji will lead the country till 2029 and will lead the coming elections.” Rajnath Singh also refuted the idea of a “no ticket above 75” policy, stating that such a decision was never made and emphasizing, “Had it been decided, it would have been mentioned in the party constitution.”
Is there an age limit for India’s Prime Minister? The Indian Constitution does not impose any age limit on the position of Prime Minister. The only eligibility criteria are that the Prime Minister must be at least 25 years old if elected to the Lok Sabha or 30 years old if elected to the Rajya Sabha. The individual must also meet other basic qualifications, such as Indian citizenship and being a member of Parliament within six months of appointment. There is no provision in the Constitution that specifies a retirement age for the Prime Minister.
