PM Narendra Modi is being wished across from political leaders as he celebrates his 71st birthday on September 17 this year.
The Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi turned 71 on September 17. As he went on about his duties, wishes from UP CM Yogi Adityanath and President Ram Nath Kovind to Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Digvijaya Singh started pouring on Twitter.
Some 50 million postcards thanking PM for his “pro-people welfare” schemes, film screenings and exhibitions on his life, blood donation camps, cleanliness and vaccination drives have been planned by the Bharatiya Janata Party to mark the Prime Minister’s birthday.
PM Modi’s interests since childhood
Narendra Damodardas Modi was always a keen debater with a gift of rhetoric, who preferred to play larger-than-life characters, which influences his political image now as well.
Modi started his political career by being appointed general secretary of the “Gujarat Lok Sangharsh Samiti”, an RSS committee co-ordinating opposition to the Emergency in Gujarat. It was, later, banned, and Modi was forced to go underground in disguise to avoid arrest. He also raised funds for political refugees and activists.
In 1978, he became an RSS regional organiser, and was assigned to the BJP in 1985, where he rose within the party and was promoted to BJP general secretary.
Becoming Chief Minister of Gujarat
In 2001, BJP lost a few state assembly seats in by-elections. So, its national leadership sought a new candidate for the chief ministership, and Modi, was chosen. On 3 October 2001, he replaced Patel as Chief Minister of Gujarat.
Prime Minister of India
In September 2013 Modi was named the BJP’s candidate for Prime Minister ahead of the 2014 Lok Sabha election. It won 31% of the vote, and more than doubled its tally in the Lok Sabha to 282, becoming the first party to win a majority of seats on its own since 1984.