Prime Minister Narendra Modi's birthday on September 17 was a significant event in West Bengal, marked by extensive celebrations that also commemorated his 25 years in public office and underscored the BJP's growing influence in the state. The day featured the unveiling of a wax statue of the Prime Minister at the BJP headquarters and prayers for his well-being, alongside community service initiatives like serving meals to hospital patients' relatives. A key announcement was the establishment of 'Annapurna Diwas' on September 17 annually, in recognition of PM Modi's Annapurna Yojana, a scheme providing financial aid to women from low-income backgrounds. The celebrations reinforced the BJP's commitment to social welfare and highlighted their electoral success and connection with the people of West Bengal.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's birthday on September 17 was a significant event in West Bengal, marked by extensive celebrations that also commemorated his 25 years in public office and underscored the BJP's growing influence in the state. The day featured the unveiling of a wax statue of the Prime Minister at the BJP headquarters and prayers for his well-being, alongside community service initiatives like serving meals to hospital patients' relatives. A key announcement was the establishment of 'Annapurna Diwas' on September 17 annually, in recognition of PM Modi's Annapurna Yojana, a scheme providing financial aid to women from low-income backgrounds. The celebrations reinforced the BJP's commitment to social welfare and highlighted their electoral success and connection with the people of West Bengal.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's birthday on September 17 was a significant event in West Bengal, marked by extensive celebrations that also commemorated his 25 years in public office and underscored the BJP's growing influence in the state. The day featured the unveiling of a wax statue of the Prime Minister at the BJP headquarters and prayers for his well-being, alongside community service initiatives like serving meals to hospital patients' relatives. A key announcement was the establishment of 'Annapurna Diwas' on September 17 annually, in recognition of PM Modi's Annapurna Yojana, a scheme providing financial aid to women from low-income backgrounds. The celebrations reinforced the BJP's commitment to social welfare and highlighted their electoral success and connection with the people of West Bengal.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s birthday celebrations on September 17, also marking 25 years of being in public office, were organised with the promise of better days to come in West Bengal with the BJP government in power. The aplomb with which the event was celebrated across the state showed the mood of the saffron party ruling the roost.

In the morning, a wax statue of PM Modi was unveiled at the BJP headquarters by state president Samik Bhattacharya. Asansol-based sculptor Susanta Roy took two months to make the lifelike 5-foot-7-inch statue draped in a Bengali Dhiri kurta. “I had long dreamt of creating a wax statue of PM Modi,” said Susanta Roy who hoped to personally present the statue to the PM, but could not do so due to protocol.

After unveiling the statue, BJP state president spoke about the PM taking India to new heights. “He (PM Modi) envisioned possibilities and turned those aspirations into reality while others saw limitations,” said Bhattacharya.

The BJP state president and BJP MP Saumitra Khan later visited Dakshineswar Kali temple to pray for the PM’s good health on his birthday. BJP workers served lunch to relatives of patients in Baruipur Superspeciality Hospital.

E-lamps were lit across various ghats in West Bengal, including at Babughat in Kolkata by the Ganges where Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari was present.

At another programme, Adhikari stated that every year this day would be celebrated as Annapurna Diwas to honour the PM’s initiative of the Annapurna Yojana, a social welfare scheme where women from low-economic income groups get ₹3,000 from the government. “Every year, September 17 will be celebrated as Annapurna Diwas because the Annapurna Yojana was Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s guarantee. We have already implemented it for a large section of women,” said Adhikari.

The CM stated that the direct bank transfer benefit has reached most of the 1.58 crore beneficiaries of this scheme for the September instalment. There were other announcements made on women’s safety initiatives and other social welfare schemes like the PM Awas Yojana.

For the saffron party supporters, which is in power in the state for the first time, the day went beyond the PM’s celebrations. It signalled the might of the leader that does not just rule the country, but also the pulse of people who gave the BJP a sweeping mandate in the Assembly elections.  

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