Maharashtra BJP president Chandrashekhar Bawankule on Tuesday dismissed Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut’s claim about Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s retirement, saying that there is no rule in the party mandating retirement at 75.
Calling Raut’s remark a “political stunt,” Bawankule rejected the claim that PM Modi visited the RSS headquarters in Nagpur to announce his retirement.
“There is no rule in the BJP that Modi should retire from politics after 75, nor has there been any such decision,” he wrote on X, a day after chief minister Devendra Fadnavis rejected Raut’s statement.
He pointed out that the Indian Constitution does not impose any age limit for the prime minister’s tenure and cited examples of past leaders, saying, “Former BJP leader Atal Bihari Vajpayee served as prime minister till the age of 79, while Morarji Desai (83) and Dr Manmohan Singh (81) also held the position beyond the age of 75. However, Raut, blinded by his animosity towards the BJP, seems to have forgotten this.”
Bawankule stressed that in a democracy, a prime minister’s tenure is decided by electoral mandate, not by individuals like Raut. “The people of this country decide Modi ji’s tenure as Prime Minister, not Sanjay Raut or the opposition,” he added.
On Monday, Devendra Fadnavis rejected speculation about Modi’s retirement and successor, stating that the prime minister would continue leading the country beyond 2029. Addressing Raut’s claim that Modi informed RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat about his retirement, Fadnavis told reporters in Nagpur, “In 2029, we will see Modi as the prime minister again.”
What did Sanjay Raut say about Modi’s retirement?
Sanjay Raut claimed on Monday that PM Modi should retire as he will turn 75 in September, adding that Modi himself had introduced the rule within his party.
“Modi will turn 75 in September, and according to the rule, he must retire… Narendra Modi himself introduced the 75-year rule in his party. The rule was applied to leaders like Lal Krishna Advani and Murli Manohar Joshi,” Raut stated.
Speaking to reporters, Raut alleged that the RSS is seeking a change in the country’s political leadership. “He (Modi) probably went to RSS headquarters to write his retirement application in September,” he claimed, suggesting that some leaders in the ruling party step down at 75.
The Shiv Sena leader remarked that the BJP rose to power because of senior leaders like Advani, who dedicated decades to the party’s growth.
Referring to Modi’s tenure, Raut told the media, “Who is anyone’s boss? Modi being Prime Minister is a temporary arrangement. Even Lord Ram and Lord Krishna left after completing their work. Advani was kept locked away like Shah Jahan while Modi became Prime Minister.”
He further asserted that Maharashtra CM Fadnavis has no authority in deciding Modi’s successor. “Devendra Fadnavis will not decide this. This is not in his hands…” Raut said.