In the recently concluded 2026 Assembly elections in West Bengal, the BJP won 207 seats. The TMC came down to 80 from 215 seats it won in 2021.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi meets Makhanlal Sarkar.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday, May 9, paid tribute to BJP and RSS veterans from West Bengal as he attended the swearing-in ceremony of Suvendu Adhikari as the Chief Minister in Kolkata. At the Brigade Parade Grounds, he even bowed to the people of the state.
Taking to X, Prime Minister Modi remembered Dr. Syama Prasad Mookerjee and wrote, “Today, as the first ever BJP Government takes oath in West Bengal, it is natural for all of us to remember Dr. Syama Prasad Mookerjee and his everlasting contribution to the nation and West Bengal in particular. No stone will be left unturned to fulfil his vision.”
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He further highlighted his meeting with Makhanlal Sarkar during the swearing-in ceremony of the new government in West Bengal.
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“During the swearing in ceremony in Kolkata, had the opportunity to meet Shri Makhanlal Sarkar Ji. A devout nationalist, he worked with Dr. Mookerjee and was even arrested in Jammu and Kashmir while accompanying him. He dedicated his life to our Party, expanding its base across West Bengal, inspiring people from all walks of life to join the Party. We in the BJP are proud that we have such motivating figures who have worked among the people and strengthened our Party,” he wrote.
Today, as the first ever BJP Government takes oath in West Bengal, it is natural for all of us to remember Dr. Syama Prasad Mookerjee and his everlasting contribution to the nation and West Bengal in particular. No stone will be left unturned to fulfil his vision.
During the… pic.twitter.com/wjze0iEplQ
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) May 9, 2026
At the age of 98, Makhanlal Sarkar is known as one of the early grassroots figures associated with the nationalist movement in post-Independence India. In 1952, he was arrested in Kashmir while accompanying Syama Prasad Mookerjee during the movement to hoist the Indian Tricolour there.
When the BJP was formed in 1980, he became the organisational coordinator for West Dinajpur, Jalpaiguri, and Darjeeling districts. He helped enrol nearly 10,000 members within just one year, IANS reported.
From 1981 onward, he served for seven years as the district president.
After entering the Brigade Parade Grounds on Saturday, PM Modi, along with Adhikari and state BJP president Samik Bhattacharya, took a ride in an open-air jeep. He was seen waving at the thousands of BJP workers and supporters who were present at the venue.
To mark the special occasion, the entire Brigade Parade Grounds was decked in saffron colours, while a large number of artists were performing to the tune of traditional drums.
In the recently concluded 2026 Assembly elections in West Bengal, the BJP won 207 seats in the 294-seat state Assembly. The seats for TMC, meanwhile, came down to 80 from 215 it won in 2021.
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