The celebrations coincided with Prime Minister Modi completing 4,399 consecutive days in office. Having first assumed the office of Prime Minister on May 26, 2014, he secured consecutive electoral mandates in 2019 and 2024, making him the longest continuously serving elected Prime Minister in India’s history.
Religious ceremonies were organised at Birla Mandir in central Delhi, Siddhivinayak Temple in Mayur Vihar, and the Pinjrapole Gaushala in Kishanganj. Senior Bharatiya Janata Party leaders and Union ministers participated in prayers, describing the milestone as an occasion of national gratitude and reflection on twelve years of National Democratic Alliance governance.
Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta visited the Pinjrapole Gaushala, where she took part in religious rituals and offered fodder to cows. She stated that Prime Minister Modi’s leadership had established new benchmarks in development, governance, public service and national pride during the past twelve years. Gupta also highlighted the government’s focus on women’s empowerment, referring to initiatives such as the Ujjwala Yojana, construction of household sanitation facilities under the Swachh Bharat Mission, Mudra loans and the Drone Didi programme. She offered prayers for the Prime Minister’s good health and long life.
Union Minister J.P. Nadda, who attended prayers at Birla Mandir, described the occasion as a landmark chapter that would be recorded in golden letters in India’s political history. He noted that Prime Minister Modi had served uninterruptedly as the country’s Prime Minister from 2014 to 2026 and credited him with reshaping governance and development.
Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw highlighted the National Democratic Alliance government’s achievements in infrastructure development, welfare programmes and administrative reforms. He said the country had been placed on a sustained path of development and pointed to progress in infrastructure, welfare measures for economically weaker sections, women’s empowerment, agricultural initiatives and governance reforms.
Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla also conveyed his congratulations to Prime Minister Modi through a formal message marking the achievement.
The celebrations came as the Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance completed twelve years in office while continuing to remain the dominant political force in the country. The alliance currently governs more than twenty states and Union Territories either independently or through coalition arrangements. Party leaders attribute this expansion to welfare delivery mechanisms, infrastructure growth, organisational strength and Prime Minister Modi’s personal popularity.
Among the achievements frequently highlighted by the government are the expansion of highways, airports and railway infrastructure, India’s emergence as the world’s fastest-growing major economy, and the implementation of large-scale welfare programmes, including Ayushman Bharat, Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, Jan Dhan Yojana, Ujjwala Yojana and the Swachh Bharat Mission.
Political observers note that despite pockets of anti-incumbency linked to concerns over unemployment, inflation and uneven recovery following the pandemic, Prime Minister Modi continues to remain the Bharatiya Janata Party’s central electoral figure. The party continues to rely significantly on his image as a decisive leader, alongside its development agenda, national security narrative and ideological appeal.
The milestone also triggered sharp criticism from the opposition. Congress leader Jairam Ramesh described the achievement as a self-proclaimed and questionable milestone and contrasted Prime Minister Modi’s tenure with the nation-building period associated with Jawaharlal Nehru.
Ramesh argued that the years between 1947 and 1952 witnessed several foundational achievements, including the integration of princely states, adoption of the Constitution, abolition of the zamindari system and the conduct of India’s first general elections. He alleged that democratic institutions had weakened during the present administration and claimed that Prime Minister Modi had become a burden on the nation.
Later in the day, Prime Minister Modi was expected to meet representatives from approximately thirty-five constituent parties of the National Democratic Alliance, including chief ministers from alliance-governed states and Union Territories. Discussions were expected to focus on government achievements, future priorities and a political resolution commemorating both the twelve-year milestone of the alliance and the Prime Minister’s record-breaking tenure.
For the Bharatiya Janata Party, the nationwide prayers represented more than a symbolic celebration. The event marked a significant political moment that the party views as validation of a decade-long transformation in Indian politics, centred on a leader who has become the defining face of the country’s governing coalition and one of the most influential figures in contemporary Indian political history.
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