From a small-town boy in Gujarat to becoming the most powerful leader in India in decades, the rise of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who turns 75 on September 17, has both been extraordinary and symbolic of the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) own growth story -- from the political margins to a position of undisputed dominance.
Born in 1950 in Gujarat's Vadnagar to a modest family, Narendra Modi gravitated towards the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) at an early age of 8 where he trained as a pracharak and imbibed a lifelong commitment to Hindu nationalism, organisational discipline, and an ability to connect with people at the grassroots.
First brush with politics
Narendra Modi's first significant political action came in 1971, when he joined a Jana Sangh protest in support of the Bangladesh Liberation War, which led to his brief detention. After the 1971 Indo-Pak war, he became a full-time RSS pracharak, paving the way for his rise both within the RSS and eventually in the BJP. During the Emergency period, Modi actively spread the RSS message of resistance and managed to evade arrest by assuming different identities.
In 1978, he was appointed as an RSS sambhag pracharak (regional organiser), overseeing activities in Surat and Vadodara. In 1979, he moved to Delhi to research and write about the RSS's role during the Emergency. He was subsequently assigned to the BJP in 1985.
Emergence in the BJP
Modi joined the BJP at a time when the party was still struggling to find its feet and make its mark nationally. As a young karyakarta, Modi was involved in organising campaigns, including the BJP's early experiments in expansion in Gujarat and beyond.
Modi earned his stripes in 1987 when he played a key role in organising the BJP's campaign in the Ahmedabad municipal election, which resulted in a decisive victory for the party and his appointment as organising secretary of the BJP's Gujarat unit.
From handling logistics for senior leaders like Lal Krishna Advani during the Ram Janmabhoomi movement in 1990 and Murli Manohar Joshi during the Ekta Yatra in 1991-92, Modi quickly earned a reputation as a strategist who could blend ideology with practical political machinery.
The early nineties were also transformative for the BJP and Modi was a constant in the party's rise from winning just two Lok Sabha seats in 1984, often working behind the scenes to energise the party cadre and sharpen its political messaging.
The big break
Modi's big political break came in 2001, when the BJP leadership, facing dissatisfaction with then Chief Minister Keshubhai Patel's government in Gujarat, installed him as chief minister. The appointment marked the beginning of his continuing stint as a leader of an elected government. Crucially, it also announced the arrival of a leader with a different style -- one that was decisive, image-conscious, and focussed on using development as a narrative.
As Gujarat's chief minister for over 12 years, Modi defined what later came to be known as the "Gujarat model" of growth that has been marked by a decisive infrastructural push, industry-friendly policies, and high-profile investment summits.
Ascent to Prime Ministership
By 2013, Modi had emerged as the national choice amid the BJP's search for a strong face to challenge the Congress-led UPA. His organisational experience, oratory, and success in Gujarat gave him an edge and led the BJP to an unprecedented victory in the 2014 general election, and establishing the BJP as the first single-party majority government in three decades.
Besides establishing Modi as a towering political figure, it also marked a break from coalition-era uncertainty and a decisive shift in Indian politics.
The BJP's constant
Modi's rise in the national political scene cannot be viewed in isolation from the BJP's own journey. From its early years as a party struggling to find electoral space, to becoming the dominant force in Indian politics, Modi has been both a witness and an architect of this growth.
Post-2014, Modi is no longer seen just as a BJP leader. He was the party's central force and the party reshaped its identity and narrative around his persona. From digital campaigns to high-voltage rallies, he became the BJP's most powerful vote-getter.
Even before the historic victory in 2014, Narendra Modi had already emerged as one of the BJP’s most dependable vote-getters at the state level. As Gujarat Chief Minister, he not only delivered three consecutive Assembly election victories for the party (2002, 2007, and 2012) but also shaped the BJP's electoral template built around strong leadership, development messaging, and Hindutva mobilisation.
His campaigns often extended beyond Gujarat, from aiding the BJP in Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh to energising cadre in states like Himachal Pradesh and Rajasthan. Post-2014, Modi's presence has become virtually synonymous with the BJP's electoral machinery. His personalised campaigns, sharp messaging, and ability to connect directly with voters have helped the party secure victories in states far beyond its traditional bastions.
From sweeping Uttar Pradesh in 2017 and again in 2022 to ensuring the BJP's dominance in Maharashtra, the Hindi heartland and northeastern states such as Assam, Tripura, and Manipur, Modi's outreach is what is believed to have repeatedly tipped the scales in favour of the BJP.
Turning 75, Modi's journey from the by-lanes of Vadnagar to 7, Lok Kalyan Marg is not just that of a Prime Minister, but also one of the BJP's tallest leader who mirrors the the party's rise from the margins of the 1980s to the heart of India's polity today.
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