Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday embraced and received the blessings of 98-year-old Bharatiya Janata Party veteran Makhanlal Sarkar during the oath-taking ceremony of the party's first government in West Bengal, held at Kolkata's Brigade Parade Ground. The event marked a historic moment as the BJP secured 207 seats in the 294-member state assembly, ending the Trinamool Congress's 15-year rule.
PM Modi's Arrival and Ceremony Highlights
The Prime Minister arrived at the venue amid enthusiastic chants of "Jai Shri Ram" and waved to supporters from an open vehicle. He landed at Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport shortly before 10 am, then traveled by helicopter to the Race Course ground before proceeding to the Brigade Parade Grounds by road. Thousands of BJP supporters had gathered from early morning to witness the historic oath-taking ceremony.
Who is Makhanlal Sarkar?
Makhanlal Sarkar, now 98 years old, is one of the BJP's earliest grassroots leaders in West Bengal. He has been deeply associated with the nationalist movement in post-Independence India. In 1952, he was arrested in Kashmir while accompanying Syama Prasad Mukherjee during a movement to hoist the Indian tricolour there. After the BJP's formation in 1980, Sarkar became the organizational coordinator for the districts of West Dinajpur, Jalpaiguri, and Darjeeling. Within a year, he reportedly helped enroll nearly 10,000 party members. From 1981 onward, he served continuously for seven years as district president—a rare achievement, as BJP leaders typically did not hold the same organizational post for more than two years.
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