india

Updated: Apr 10, 2019 22:01 IST

Indore MP and outgoing Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan Wednesday said politics cannot have a fixed retirement age like government jobs, days after she opted out of the poll fray amidst speculations that the Bharatiya Janata Party was not keen to field leaders above 75 years of age.

Mahajan announced on April 5 that she would not contest the Lok Sabha elections. In a letter to BJP chief Amit Shah, she wrote that she has freed the party to make its choice for Indore seat.

Mahajan turns 76 Friday.

“Politics cannot be compared with government jobs. Retirement age in government service is pre-determined. However, this cannot be done in politics because politicians are directly involved with happiness and sorrows of the common people and work for them beyond deadlines,” Mahajan said.

The MP recalled that Morarji Desai had become Prime Minister of the country when he was 81.

In an interview to The Week magazine recently, Shah had stated that it was his party’s decision not to give Lok Sabha poll tickets to those above 75 years of age, leading to veteran leaders like L K Advani and Murali Manohar Joshi missing out.

When asked about Shah’s statement, Mahajan said as she was occupied with the responsibilities of the post of Lok Sabha Speaker, she could not attend the meetings held by BJP’s central organisation in the last five years, and thus is not aware of any such age bar policy.

“I don’t have any authentic information about the party meeting in which the policy regarding not giving tickets to party leaders who crossed 75 was decided,” she said.