PM Modi Turns 76: BJP Launches Nationwide Outreach to Mark 25 Years in Public Life

NEW DELHI, SEPTEMBER 17: Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s 76th birthday on Thursday was marked by nationwide celebrations by BJP workers and NDA leaders, with prayers, havans, pujans, bike rallies and lamp-lighting ceremonies highlighting his 25 years in public life.

From individuals lighting the ‘Aashirwad Ka Diya’ to senior NDA leaders participating in public programmes, the celebrations were organised across the country as part of the BJP’s month-long ‘Seva Sankalp Abhiyan’, running from September 17 to October 17.

The opening session of SEMICON India 2026 at the Yashobhoomi Convention Centre in New Delhi also briefly turned into a birthday celebration when the gathering applauded and greeted the Prime Minister on stage. Modi smiled and acknowledged the greetings before proceeding with the programme.

In Vadnagar, Modi’s birthplace in Gujarat, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel launched the month-long campaign. Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Union Minister Anupriya Patel were also present as a bike rally from Vadnagar to Varanasi was flagged off to spread the message of public service.

Addressing the gathering, Shah highlighted Modi’s long political career and the principle of ‘Nation First’. He said that during more than 25 years of continuous public life, no allegation of corruption or malpractice had been levelled against the Prime Minister.

In Varanasi, Modi’s Lok Sabha constituency, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu and other senior BJP and NDA leaders participated in the celebrations. Special rituals and prayers were also held at the Kashi Vishwanath Temple, with Union Minister and LJP leader Chirag Paswan among those present.

BJP president Nitin Nabin extended birthday greetings to Modi and said that under his leadership, the country was progressing towards development and self-reliance while strengthening its position internationally.

A key feature of the ‘Seva Sankalp Abhiyan’ is ‘Aashirwad Ka Diya’, under which BJP workers and supporters have been encouraged to light earthen lamps at homes, temples and other locations. Several large-scale lamp-lighting programmes were also organised across states.

The campaign comes ahead of a series of Assembly elections, including those in Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Goa and Manipur, followed by Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh in 2027. The BJP plans to use the month-long programme to highlight Modi’s public career, government initiatives and welfare schemes, while also mobilising its organisational cadre.

The campaign also places particular emphasis on young people, with the BJP seeking to connect Modi’s public-service narrative with youth and expand its outreach among younger sections of the population.

Political analysts view the scale of the campaign as carrying a broader political message, linking Modi’s journey from Vadnagar to the Prime Minister’s Office with the BJP’s narrative of ‘seva’ and ‘Nation First’. The outreach also comes amid increased public engagement by opposition parties, including Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, particularly among youth and sections of the unorganised workforce.

With upcoming Assembly elections and an active opposition in Parliament, the BJP’s month-long programme is expected to serve both as a public outreach exercise and as an organisational mobilisation campaign.