Narendra Modi's 73rd Birthday: A Look Back At His Life And Career

Narendra Modi, the Prime Minister of India, is celebrating his 73rd birthday on September 17th. The BJP units all over India are planning to celebrate his birthday in different ways.

Born on September 17, 1950, three years after India attained freedom and months before it became a Republic, Narendra Modi was the third of the six children of Damodardas Modi and Hiraba Modi.

From his early years, Prime Minister Narendra Modi was a member of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). Despite being involved in politics since the 1970s, his political career didn't gain significant momentum until the late 1990s.

In 1987, Mr Modi started working as the General Secretary of the BJP in Gujarat. The party won a majority in Gujarat in 1995, and he rose quickly up the ranks.

On October 7, 2001, Narendra Modi assumed his first constitutional role when he became the Chief Minister of Gujarat. Ever since that date, he has continued to serve as the leader of an elected government.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is not only the longest-serving non-Congress Prime Minister but also has the longest tenure as head of an elected government, which includes his term of more than 12 years as Chief Minister of Gujarat, among all Prime Ministers the country has seen.

In 2014, the Modi-led BJP decimated all opposition and swept the election, becoming the first party to win a majority in over three decades.

Before moving to New Delhi, PM Modi served as the Chief Minister of his home state of Gujarat for 13 years, since 2001.

As his second term as Prime Minister is about to finish next year, Narendra Modi still towers over Indian politics and much of the country's political discourse.