How BJP-ruled states are marking Modi’s 25 years in public life

As Prime Minister Narendra Modi turns 76 on Sep 17, BJP-ruled states have begun a month-long campaign to mark his birthday as well as 25 years since he first became Gujarat chief minister.

The BJP’s Seva Sankalp Abhiyan will run from Sep 17 to Oct 17, with programmes focused on public service, welfare outreach, blood donation, youth and cultural activities. The campaign marks 25 years since Modi entered public office as Gujarat chief minister on October 7, 2001.

The national campaign is being accompanied by separate programmes in states, with different BJP units and state governments announcing activities around Modi’s birthday and the Oct 7 milestone.

What BJP-ruled states are doing

In Gujarat, the BJP and state government have planned an extensive programme around Modi’s birthday and 25 years in public life.

More than 88 lakh earthen lamps were scheduled to be lit at over 18,500 locations across the state on September 17 under the Aashirvad No Divdo programme. The event is part of the month-long Seva Ane Sankalp Abhiyan.

Gujarat is also the starting point for a bike journey to Varanasi. The Seva Sankalp Bike Yatra was flagged off from Vadnagar on Sep 17 and is scheduled to reach Varanasi on Oct 7, the date marking 25 years since Modi first became Gujarat chief minister. The route is set to pass through 10 states, 193 districts and 1,195 villages.

In Haryana, the state government has announced a month-long Seva Sankalp Abhiyan from Sep 17 to Oct 17. Education Minister Mahipal Dhanda said the programme would include 13 major events and activities across villages, neighbourhoods, educational institutions, social organisations and polling booths.

Rajasthan is also launching a month-long Seva Sankalp campaign from Sep 17. The state BJP has said the programme will focus on taking information about welfare schemes and their benefits to people, alongside activities involving schools and grassroots-level workers.

In Uttar Pradesh, the state BJP is scheduled to run the Seva Sankalp Abhiyan from Sep 17 to Oct 17. The programme includes grassroots outreach and a bike rally as part of the broader campaign marking Modi’s 25 years in public life.

The campaign is not limited to BJP-ruled states. BJP units in other parts of the country have also announced programmes linked to the national Seva Sankalp Abhiyan, with state-level plans varying according to local programmes and schedules.

Gujarat’s ₹14.05 crore spending

The current campaign also comes against the backdrop of previous state-level programmes marking Modi’s political milestones.

A Newslaundry report published found that the Gujarat government spent ₹14.05 crore on a nine-day Vikas Saptah in October 2025. The figure was disclosed in a Gujarat Assembly reply to Congress MLA Jignesh Mevani. The event marked 24 years since Modi became Gujarat chief minister.

The Vikas Saptah was held from Oct 7 to Oct 15 last year, coinciding with the anniversary of Modi taking oath as Gujarat chief minister in 2001. The Gujarat government’s official account of the 2025 programme shows that it included inaugurations and foundation-laying ceremonies for development projects.

The ₹14.05 crore expenditure was not the only spending associated with commemorating Modi’s years in public life. It also reported that Gujarat spent ₹8.81 crore on advertisements in 2024 as part of a campaign marking Modi’s 23 years in public office. The figure was based on information obtained through the Right to Information Act.

The Gujarat Information and Broadcasting Department spent ₹108.80 crore on publicity during 2025, according to the report. That figure covers the department’s broader publicity expenditure and is separate from the ₹14.05 crore spent on Vikas Saptah.

The figures provide a record of how Gujarat has marked Modi’s political milestones in previous years, as the BJP and states begin this year’s month-long programmes. The current campaign will continue until Oct 17, while Oct 7 will mark 25 years since Modi first took charge as Gujarat chief minister.