Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Independence Day address has been in the news for various reasons. It was not for nothing that his speech was the longest since he assumed office in 2014, lasting 104 minutes. He addressed the concerns of the nation and focused on how his government intends to shape the future of India. What many missed was that, simultaneously, he addressed his own concerns and spelt out his future plans.

In a firm, albeit subtle, manner, he hinted that he was going nowhere and intended to continue in the post even after turning 75 next month. Back in 2014, after successfully leading the BJP to power, he minced no words in declaring that anyone above 75 would not get a berth in his council of ministers and that politicians should retire at this age and become “Marg Darshaks” (mentors, advisors and guides) of the party. The idea when he propounded this theory was mainly to keep out two seniors, including his mentor Lal Krishna Advani and Murli Manohar Joshi, from the government. Admittedly, he did not want seniors under whom he had grown politically to breathe down his neck. Probably, Modi never reckoned then that he would get a third term as the Indian premier in 2024.

However, 11 years down the line, murmurs started becoming........

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