Today, 17 September 2026, Narendra Modi turns 76.
Born in 1950 in Vadnagar, small town in Gujarat. Ordinary family, helped at the tea stall as a kid. Nothing fancy.
Then in October 2001 the party made him Gujarat CM after the big earthquake. He was 51, never been a minister before. He stayed more than 12 years, won election after election. People still talk about the Gujarat model – roads, electricity, factories, getting work done. Others still talk about 2002. Both sides haven’t gone away.
By 2013 the BJP decided he was their PM face. 2014 election – party got full majority alone. He became PM on 26 May. Came back stronger in 2019. In 2024 he got the third term. Only Nehru did that before him consecutively.
In June this year he even crossed Nehru’s record for continuous days as elected PM.
If you count Gujarat plus Delhi, it’s almost 25 years of being the top person in government. The party is doing a month of seva programmes starting today to mark it.
In these years a lot changed. Bank accounts for everyone, toilets, gas, free ration, health cards, water taps in villages. Highways, airports, UPI. Economy grew, India started speaking louder outside. At the same time Article 370 removed, Ram temple built, CAA came. Development and the other side both stayed strong.
Politics itself changed. BJP grew in places it never used to win. Elections started revolving around one man’s face. Even after 2024 needed allies, he stayed at the centre.
It wasn’t easy. Earthquake recovery, foreign criticism, farm protests, border issues, coalition headaches. Supporters say he keeps coming back stronger. Critics say power got too concentrated. Both views are still there.
At 76 he’s still on the move, still campaigning, still setting the daily agenda. Like him or not, these 25 years have left a deep mark on how this country is run and how elections are fought.
Sources: recent reports from News18, Hindustan Times, Economic Times, NDTV and India Today on his birthday and tenure milestones, plus the official records of his time as CM and PM.
@Rohit Manral
