The Margdarshak Mandal Question: What Happens When Modi Turns 75?
Editor-in-Chief of indiacommentary.com. Current Affairs analyst and political commentator. Author of Cyber Scams in India, Digital Arrest, The Money Trap and The Human Hack
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By Sunil Garodia
First publised on 2025-09-08 05:42:00
About the Author
Editor-in-Chief of indiacommentary.com. Current Affairs analyst and political commentator. Author of Cyber Scams in India, Digital Arrest, The Money Trap and The Human Hack
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Modi Will Turn 75 On September 17
As both Prime Minister Narendra Modi and RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat approach the age of 75, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leadership finds itself at a delicate crossroads. The party's past actions in nudging stalwarts like L.K. Advani and Murli Manohar Joshi into the Margdarshak Mandal upon crossing the 75-year threshold created what looked like an internal convention. Now, the question arises: will Prime Minister Modi himself step aside in line with that precedent, or will a different standard be applied to him?
What Will Happen?
This dilemma sharpened last week when Bhagwat clarified that he had never said people in public service must retire at 75. His statement opens the door for flexibility. Yet it also raises questions: if the rule was never binding, why was it enforced so firmly against Advani and Joshi? And if Modi does not follow the same practice, will the opposition not seize upon it as proof that rules are selectively applied inside the BJP?
Is The Margdarshak Mandal Still Functioning?
The issue here is not merely about age or physical capacity to govern. It is about credibility, consistency, and fairness in political practice. In 2014, the transition of Advani and Joshi to the Margdarshak Mandal was justified as part of a generational change within the party. The message was clear: the BJP would not allow leaders beyond 75 to occupy executive positions, irrespective of their stature. It signaled discipline, order, and an institutionalized system of succession. That message was used to demonstrate a contrast with the Congress party, where leaders were accused of clinging to power.
Dilemma
But now, as Modi nears the same age, the leadership finds itself trapped in its own precedent. To insist that Modi should retire would mean voluntarily creating a vacuum at the very center of its power structure, something the party is unlikely to do. On the other hand, to abandon the earlier principle will expose the party to charges of double standards, giving opposition parties a ready narrative in the run-up to 2025 and 2026.
Opposition Will Sieze It With Glee
The opposition's line of attack practically writes itself: if Advani and Joshi were compelled to step aside, why not Modi? Was the rule only a convenient tool to remove inconvenient figures from the leadership space? Does the BJP apply principles selectively depending on political expediency? Such questions, even if politically motivated, have the potential to resonate among the electorate because they strike at the core of the BJP's claim to discipline and internal democracy.
Mohan Bhagwat Weighs In
Bhagwat's statement is significant because it suggests that the 75-year principle was never codified or doctrinal. Yet, political memory is short on nuance. For the public, what matters is not whether the rule was formally part of RSS-BJP ideology but the fact that it was enforced as though it were. Once a precedent is set, rolling it back without consequence becomes difficult.
BJP At Crossroads
Moreover, Modi's leadership style complicates the matter. His tenure has been marked by strong centralization of authority, with the Prime Minister's persona becoming synonymous with the BJP's electoral appeal. In such a scenario, stepping aside at 75 would not simply be a personal decision - it would trigger a structural reorganization of power within the BJP and government. Conversely, refusing to step aside risks appearing like a double standard that weakens the party's moral position against rivals.
What Will The BJP Do
Thus, the BJP leadership faces a twofold dilemma: preserve institutional consistency at the cost of losing its strongest face, or retain Modi at the cost of appearing arbitrary. Either path carries risks. What is certain is that the issue will not remain confined to internal discussions. The opposition will ensure it is a matter of public debate, framing it as an example of hypocrisy if Modi continues beyond 75 without transition.
Credibility Issue
Ultimately, the matter is not only about one man's retirement age but about the BJP's ability to uphold the standards it once imposed on its own veterans. Modi has built his political appeal on the promise of principled leadership, discipline, and fairness. The decision he makes as he reaches 75 will therefore reverberate far beyond his personal career - it will shape the credibility of the BJP's internal culture itself.
