Mohan Bhagwat Drops ‘75-Year’ Damocles’ Sword: Après Moi, le Déluge?

Bhagwat’s Timing of Message Invites Scrutiny on Modi’s Age

By MANISH ANAND

NEW DELHI, July 11, 2025 — Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) Sarsanghchalak (chief) Mohan Bhagwat has once again set political corridors ablaze with his blunt message: people, upon turning 75, should step back and give others a chance. His statement came wrapped in an anecdote about Moropant Pingle, a senior RSS functionary who was celebrated by the organisation after he crossed the age threshold.

Bhagwat quoted Pingle, who had remarked at the time that “after 75, one should step back.” While delivering his speech in Marathi, Bhagwat notably switched to Hindi to narrate the anecdote— a move widely interpreted as deliberate, aimed at a national audience.

It would be politically naïve to assume that Bhagwat was unaware of the implications of his message. Both he and Prime Minister Narendra Modi are approaching the 75-year milestone—Bhagwat on September 11 and Modi six days later, both born in 1950 in post-Independence India.

In 2021, Suresh ‘Bhaiyaji’ Joshi, who was the number two in the RSS, “stepped back to give others an opportunity.” According to RSS insiders, Joshi’s exit was not abrupt. It followed months of deliberations within the Sangh, culminating in an unofficial 75-year age ceiling for top leadership—though never publicly acknowledged.

Joshi left his post two years before reaching 75. If Bhagwat were to follow suit, the RSS leadership could pass to Dattatreya Hosabale, 70, who could potentially serve a full five-year term at the helm of the Sangh.

For Modi, however, the succession question remains murky. Some senior BJP leaders were themselves asked to “step back” when Modi took charge of the party in 2014—veterans like L.K. Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi, Yashwant Sinha, and Shanta Kumar were dropped from electoral lists as the party turned a generational page.

In his 11-plus years as Prime Minister, Modi has amassed numerous accolades from across the globe. Within the BJP, it’s widely believed that Modi’s legacy is already secure—be it through the construction of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya, the abrogation of Article 370, the passage of the Women’s Reservation Bill, the surgical strikes against Pakistan, or his leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic. If he were to step down at 75, some BJP functionaries suggest, it would be at the peak of his political career.

Yet, Modi has given no indication that he plans to step aside. The BJP has repeatedly dismissed the notion of a mandatory retirement age of 75. To counter this perception, the party has fielded multiple leaders over the age of 75 in recent elections.

Still, the question—Who after Modi?—continues to loom over the BJP. The party’s inability to appoint a new national president even after J.P. Nadda extended his original three-year term into a sixth year has only deepened the uncertainty.

Bhagwat and Modi are said to have met several times in recent months. What they discussed remains behind closed doors, leaving political analysts and observers with nothing more than hints and the task of connecting the dots.

(This is an opinion piece, and views expressed are those of the author only)

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About The Author

Manish Anand

Manish Anand is a senior journalist with more than two decades of hardcore reporting on beats such as Prime Minister’s Office, Parliament, BJP, Congress, Planning Commission, NITI Aayog, and scores of Union Ministries.

His past has been with The New Indian Express, The Asian Age/Deccan Chronicle, and The Statesman.

For about 15 years, Manish was also a regular commentator and host for talks on AIR on foreign affairs.

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