Modi–Bhagwat to Share Ayodhya Stage Amid BJP Chief Deadlock
PM Narendra Modi at the RSS headquarters in Nagpur earlier this year (Image X.com)
As PM Modi and RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat appear together at the Ram Mandir flag-hoisting, questions sharpen over BJP–RSS equations and the unexplained delay in appointing a full-time party president.
By AMIT KUMAR
New Delhi, November 22, 2025 — Ayodhya will witness a rare and politically loaded moment on 25 November when Prime Minister Narendra Modi and RSS Sarsanghchalak Mohan Bhagwat share the same stage for the Ram Mandir flag-hoisting ceremony. The event marks the completion of the temple’s construction — but in Delhi’s political corridors, the joint appearance is being read as something more: a possible reset in BJP–RSS relations at a time when the ruling party is unable to elect a new national president.
The optics are important. Modi has recently written two high-profile pieces praising Bhagwat and the RSS — one on the Sangh’s centenary celebrations, and another on Bhagwat’s 75th birthday. Both were widely published across Indian media. The timing raised questions, especially after months of speculation that the RSS might insist Modi step aside after turning 75.
Bhagwat ended that talk himself. At an event in Delhi, he dismissed age caps for political office, saying no leader should be forced to retire “because of age alone.” The signal was clear: no pressure on Modi to quit.
Yet, a glaring contradiction remains — despite unity messaging, the BJP still has no full-time national president. J.P. Nadda is both Union minister and party chief, a situation the BJP constitution discourages. The party earlier delayed choosing his successor citing Bihar elections, but the polls are over, Nitish Kumar has taken oath, and still no movement.
RSS insiders say the BJP leadership sent a shortlist of names to Nagpur, but the Sangh did not respond — its way of saying “no.” The BJP, led by Modi and Amit Shah, has not sent alternative names, insisting the party will decide its own chief. The stalemate has kept Nadda in an unprecedented fifth year of what should be a three-year term.
With the Winter Session starting 1 December, the only viable window for a new BJP president appears to be 20 December, right after Parliament adjourns. If the party misses that, Assembly elections in West Bengal, Assam, Kerala and Tamil Nadu will become the next excuse to delay.
That is why the Modi–Bhagwat meeting in Ayodhya is being closely watched. It may offer the first opportunity for a direct conversation to break the deadlock and clear the path for a new BJP chief.
Follow The Raisina Hills on WhatsApp, Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, and LinkedIn
About The Author
