The Narendra Modi government will mark nine years with a series of events across the country this month, showcasing its achievements, which “transformed people's lives, especially the poor and marginalised”.
Adding to the significance of the anniversary celebrations is India's ongoing G20 presidency and the next Lok Sabha elections, 10 months away, where the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will hope to become the first political party in over 50 years to win three successive general elections.
As part of the celebrations, ministers are likely to fan out across the country to address press conferences and hold events in state capitals and bigger cities to talk about the achievements during the last nine years, especially programmes and policies that have improved the lives of the poorest — such as Jan Dhan, Ujjwala, Swacch Bharat Mission, housing for all, Kisan Nidhi, under which farmers receive assistance, and Ayushman Bharat.
The BJP became the first party since 1984 to win a majority in the Lok Sabha in 2014, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led council of ministers assumed office on May 26, 2014. The BJP bettered that record five years later, with Modi becoming the first prime minister after Indira Gandhi in 1971 to return to power with a Lok Sabha majority.
Since 2016, the Modi government's leitmotif has been “garib kalian”, or the welfare of the poor. “Seva” (service), “sushasan” (good governance), “garib kalyan", eight years of transforming India, was how the Modi government pitched its celebrations in 2022.
However, the ninth-year celebrations are also likely to focus on the PM’s popularity and leadership in India and around the world. The BJP's state units have planned month-long public outreach from May 15 to June 15 to talk about the Modi government’s achievements.
