Opinion | From Scooter To Statesman: The Journey Of A Karyakarta

Last Updated:April 06, 2026, 17:30 IST

On the BJP’s Foundation Day, it is worth remembering that Prime Minister Narendra Modi continues to define the party the same way he did at the very beginning.

On the BJP’s 47th Foundation Day, its journey and that of Prime Minister Narendra Modi read not as two separate stories, but as one continuous arc of dedication, discipline and destiny.

It begins quietly in 1987, not with a grand announcement but with a young karyakarta riding pillion on a colleague’s scooter through the lanes of Ahmedabad. There was no spotlight, no ceremony, only work. Drawn into organisational responsibility almost by circumstance, Narendra Modi stepped in as a backroom strategist, helping manage the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation elections. The BJP, with just 21 seats, surged to 64, its first majority in the city’s history. Even then, the principle was clear: for a BJP karyakarta, the question is never “what to be," but “what to do."

As the years unfolded, so did the map of possibility. Through the late 1980s and early 1990s, he emerged as a key strategist, helping expand the party’s base in Gujarat and beyond. Victories followed, not by accident but by design — organisation, discipline, and clarity of purpose shaping outcomes. From Gujarat to the national stage, from co-ordinating elections to crafting alliances, the footprint of his work steadily widened.

In the mid-1990s, the responsibility shifted to some of the most challenging political terrains in the country — Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Chandigarh and Jammu & Kashmir. Regions where the BJP had little presence began to turn, one by one. First victories were secured, alliances were built, and new political ground was broken. The lotus bloomed where it had never bloomed before.

Then came Gujarat again, this time as Chief Minister. From 2001 to 2013, the state became a laboratory of governance. Electoral victories followed, but more importantly, a model of administration took shape, one that combined political stability with developmental focus. Four consecutive terms made him the longest-serving Chief Minister in the state’s history, but even in moments of triumph, the emphasis remained on humility, responsibility, and service.

By 2014, the journey that began on a scooter had reached Delhi. A historic mandate — 282 seats — marked not just a political victory, but a structural shift in Indian politics. It was the first single-party majority in three decades, and the beginning of a new era. That trust was renewed in 2019, and again in 2024, marking three consecutive terms of leadership at the national level.

Along the way, the BJP expanded its footprint across the country, registering landmark victories in Uttar Pradesh, making deep inroads in the Northeast, and opening new chapters in states like Kerala. The NDA grew stronger, governance delivery became central, and milestones accumulated — until Narendra Modi became one of India’s longest-serving leaders in consecutive terms, and the longest-serving head of government across Gujarat and Delhi combined.

And yet, beyond the victories and records, what stands out is something far more fundamental. After decades in public life, after unmatched electoral success, Prime Minister Narendra Modi continues to define the BJP the same way he did at the very beginning: a karyakarta-centric party, guided by one principle — India First.

This is not merely a political journey. It is a testament to what sustained commitment to nation-building can achieve.

On the BJP’s Foundation Day, it is worth remembering that the story is not just about how far one man has come, but about how firmly he has held on to where he began.

A karyakarta.

“We were not fortunate enough to die for independence. But we are fortunate enough to live for a free India. Today is not the time to die for the nation, today is the time to live for it." (“हमें आज़ादी के लिए मरने का सौभाग्य नहीं मिला। लेकिन आज़ाद हिंदुस्तान में जीने का सौभाग्य मिला है। आज देश के लिए मरने का समय नहीं है। आज देश के लिए जीने का समय है।")

– Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Vadodara, 16 May 2014.

(Amit Malviya is the national head of the BJP’s Information & Technology and co-incharge of West Bengal. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the writer. They do not necessarily reflect News18’s views.)

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