India

NDA Chief Ministers to Convene in Varanasi on PM Modi’s 76th Birthday

By HT News Desk

Chief ministers from all NDA‑ruled states will travel to Varanasi tomorrow, the day Prime Minister Narendra Modi turns 76. The Varanasi Lok Sabha seat is represented by Modi. Andhra Pradesh chief minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, Maharashtra deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde, Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh have confirmed their attendance. The Bharatiya Janata Party will also launch the ‘Seva Sankalp Abhiyan’ nationwide from 17 September to 17 October, a series of service‑oriented programmes and outreach initiatives. Two bike rallies will begin simultaneously on 17 September from Varanasi and Vadnagar, Modi’s birthplace in Gujarat, and will finish on 7 October. The ‘Vadnagar‑to‑Varanasi’ and ‘Varanasi‑to‑Vadnagar’ rallies will cover 193 districts and about 1,159 villages across ten states, travelling roughly 40,000 kilometres and involving around 1,000 young participants. The Vadnagar flag‑off will be attended by Amit Shah, Gujarat chief minister Bhupendra Patel, BJP state unit president Jagdish Vishwakarma, Maharashtra deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde and Union Minister Anupriya Patel, according to national in‑charge VD Sharma. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will address a media conference in Kolkata on Wednesday about the Seva Sankalp Abhiyan, which commemorates Modi’s birthday and his 25 years in public office, including 13 years as Gujarat chief minister and 12 as prime minister. Delhi chief minister Rekha Gupta urged residents to light an ‘Aashirwad Ka Diya’ (earthen lamp of blessing) on 17 September between 6 and 7 pm, praying for Modi’s good health, long life and continued strength in service of the nation.