A journey that began in a small town and led to the roles of Gujarat Chief Minister and, subsequently, Prime Minister of the country

Gandhinagar, Gujarat : September 17, 1950, Vadnagar, in Gujarat’s Mehsana district. This is where Narendra Damodardas Modi was born. Today, Narendra Modi turns 76. His life story is one of an individual from a small town who gradually climbed the organizational ladder to assume the nation’s highest political responsibility.

Modi’s story cannot be understood solely through his tenure as Prime Minister. It encompasses his childhood in Vadnagar, his family’s tea stall, his association with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), his organizational responsibilities within the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), and a long tenure of nearly 13 years as the Chief Minister of Gujarat. These milestones laid the foundation for a political journey that culminated in his becoming Prime Minister in 2014.

Narendra Modi was born into an ordinary family. According to the official biography from the Prime Minister’s Office, he spent his early life in Vadnagar. Alongside his studies, he worked at his family’s tea stall. This was a time when Vadnagar a small town was the focal point of his life.

This childhood experience later became a significant part of Modi’s public image. However, his story was not limited to the tea stall; during his adolescence and youth, he gravitated towards social and organizational activities.

His association with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) is considered a major turning point in Modi’s political life. He participated in RSS activities in Ahmedabad and became a pracharak (full-time organizer) in 1972. While working with the organization, he spent a long period working at the grassroots level in Gujarat. This organizational experience proved invaluable in his subsequent political journey.

His active political role within the BJP grew, and his stature in Gujarat’s politics became increasingly prominent. The most significant political turning point in Narendra Modi’s life occurred on October 7, 2001. It was on this day that he took the oath as the Chief Minister of Gujarat. At that time, Gujarat was grappling with several challenges, including the devastating earthquake of 2001.

Modi served as the Chief Minister of Gujarat until May 2014. According to the Prime Minister’s Office, his tenure from October 2001 to May 2014 was the longest of any Chief Minister of Gujarat. It was during this period as Chief Minister that he rapidly established his presence in national politics. Transitioning from Gujarat politics to the national stage marked the next major step in his journey.

The 2014 Lok Sabha election marked a decisive chapter in Narendra Modi’s political career. The BJP named him its prime ministerial candidate, and the party secured an absolute majority in the election. On May 26, 2014, Narendra Modi took the oath as Prime Minister for the first time. He also became the first Prime Minister to be born in independent India. Thus, a journey that began in the streets of Vadnagar reached the seat of national power in Delhi.

In the 2019 Lok Sabha election, the BJP once again secured an absolute majority, and Narendra Modi assumed the responsibility of the Prime Minister’s office for a second term. According to the Prime Minister’s Office, the BJP achieved an absolute majority under his leadership in both the 2014 and 2019 elections.

Then came the 2024 Lok Sabha election. Following the polls, on June 9, 2024, Narendra Modi took the oath as Prime Minister for a third consecutive term. With this, his national political journey reached yet another significant milestone.

On September 17, 2026, Narendra Modi turns 76. However, for him, this birthday represents more than just a figure of age; it also marks the completion of 25 years of public life as the head of government a tenure that began when he became the Chief Minister of Gujarat in October 2001. To mark this occasion, the BJP is organizing a ‘Seva Sankalp Abhiyan’ (Service and Resolve Campaign) from September 17 to October 17.

The story that began in the lanes of Vadnagar has now reached 7 Lok Kalyan Marg. Along the way, there was a tea stall, followed by a long stint in organizational work, the assumption of power in Gujarat, and finally, the highest political office in Delhi.

Perhaps the most crucial aspect of understanding Narendra Modi’s political journey is realizing that it is not a story built overnight. The journey that started in Vadnagar in 1950 reached Gujarat in 2001 and Delhi in 2014. The years 2019 and 2024 propelled it further. Looking back at this journey on his 76th birthday, it is evident that every milestone in his life paved the way for the next major one.

Report – Abhijit Tushar Bhatt (Political Editor)