Mohan Bhagwat in power play: Leveraging BJP’s 2024 election setback

The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) has long been the ideological cornerstone of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), shaping its policies and mobilising its voter base. However, the BJP’s reduced mandate in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, where it fell short of an absolute majority, has altered the dynamics between the two organisations. RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat appears to be seizing this moment of vulnerability to assert influence over Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government.

Bhagwat's recent comment about leaders retiring at 75 has ignited political speculation, with many interpreting it as a veiled jab at Modi, who turns 75 in September 2025. This is not an isolated incident but part of a pattern of subtle pinpricks from Bhagwat since the 2024 election results, indicating a strategic recalibration within the Sangh Parivar.

Bhupendra Chaubey deciphers in the video above what this new jibe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi means.

Bhagwat’s retirement remark a targeted message?

At a book launch in Nagpur, Bhagwat referenced RSS ideologue Moropant Pingle’s belief that leaders should step aside at 75 to make way for younger voices. The timing is notable, as both Bhagwat and Modi approach their 75th birthdays in 2025. Opposition leaders, including Congress’s Jairam Ramesh and Shiv Sena (UBT)’s Sanjay Raut, quickly framed the remark as a pointed message to Modi, referencing the BJP’s unwritten “75-year retirement rule” previously applied to veterans like LK Advani. The RSS clarified that Bhagwat’s comment was about Pingle’s humility, not a directive for Modi. Yet, the ambiguity of the statement, coupled with its timing post the 2024 election, fuels speculation about Bhagwat’s intentions to pressure the BJP leadership subtly.

Since June 2024, Bhagwat has made several statements that appear to critique the Modi-led government indirectly. At an RSS event, he stressed humility in leadership, cautioning against arrogance—a remark seen as a rebuke to the BJP’s aggressive campaign rhetoric during the 2024 election. He also highlighted the unrest in Manipur, subtly questioning the government’s handling of the crisis. These comments, while not explicitly targeting Modi, mark a shift from the RSS’s traditionally supportive stance, suggesting Bhagwat is leveraging the BJP’s weakened position to reassert ideological authority.

Shift in Sangh Parivar dynamics

The 2024 election outcome, which forced the BJP to rely on coalition partners like the Janata Dal (United) and Telugu Desam Party, has dented Modi’s aura of invincibility. This has created an opening for the RSS, which prefers to operate from the shadows, to flex its influence. Bhagwat’s remarks, including the retirement age debate, serve as a reminder that the BJP’s political success hinges on the RSS’s grassroots machinery and ideological grounding.

By invoking such issues, Bhagwat may be signalling that the RSS expects greater alignment with its priorities, such as cultural nationalism, over the BJP’s focus on Brand Modi.

The opposition has cashed in on Bhagwat’s comments to highlight tensions within the Sangh Parivar. Leaders like Ramesh and Raut have pointed out the irony of Modi potentially facing the retirement rule he enforced on others. However, BJP leaders like Amit Shah and Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis have dismissed retirement rumours, asserting Modi’s leadership until 2029. This pushback underscores the delicate balance between the RSS and the BJP, where ideological purism sometimes clashes with pragmatic governance.

Bhagwat’s calculated interventions reflect a strategic repositioning. As RSS chief, he is not merely commenting on age but signalling that the organisation remains the BJP’s ideological anchor. With the BJP’s 2024 election setback weakening Modi’s dominance, Bhagwat’s subtle critiques suggest a push for greater RSS influence. As 2025 unfolds, his words will likely continue to stir debate, keeping the spotlight on the evolving relationship between the RSS and Modi’s BJP.

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