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COVER STORY JUNE 19, 2026 | The Indian Eye 4

MODI’S RECORD TENURE

MILESTONE &

PRAISE

As Narendra Modi became India’s longest-serving continuously elected Prime Minister, supporters hailed his

leadership as transformative while critics questioned both the record and the government’s performance

OUR BUREAU Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a group picture with NDA leaders and other dignitaries at Bharat Mandapam, in New Delhi on Wednesday. (ANI Photo)
New Delhi
The contrasting reactions reveal from previous coalition governments lay not merely in the duration of
rime Minister Narendra Modi the complex nature of Modi’s position that often struggled with political in- Modi’s tenure but in what had been
completed 4,399 days in of- in contemporary India. To supporters, stability. achieved during that period. She ar-
Pfice on June 10, surpassing the he represents a transformational lead- Several senior leaders used the gued that Modi had demonstrated
tenure record previously held by In- er who has expanded India’s global in- occasion to underline what they re- how cooperation between govern-
dia’s first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal fluence and accelerated development. gard as the government’s develop- ment and citizens could contribute to
Nehru, in terms of continuous service To critics, the celebration reflects an mental achievements. Goa Chief nation-building. Her remarks high-
after winning general elections. The attempt to shape historical narratives Minister Pramod Sawant argued lighted a central element of the BJP’s
milestone has triggered celebrations while diverting attention from unre- that Modi had brought development political messaging: the portrayal of
within the ruling National Democrat- solved economic and social concerns. “from Kanyakumari to Kashmir,” development as a collective national
ic Alliance (NDA), congratulations At a meeting of NDA leaders claiming that such progress had not project rather than simply a govern-
from international leaders, and re- in New Delhi, the coalition formally been witnessed in the preceding six mental programme.
newed political debate over Modi’s celebrated the occasion and adopted decades. The statement echoed a re- The strongest endorsement
legacy after more than twelve years in a resolution praising Modi’s twelve curring BJP theme that India’s devel- came from Union Petroleum Min-
power. years in office. Leaders described opment trajectory accelerated signifi- ister Hardeep Singh Puri, who sug-
The achievement is significant his tenure as a combination of “peo- cantly after 2014. gested that the achievements of the
because it symbolizes the durability ple-centric development, participa- Union Minister Ramdas Atha- last twelve years would be “written in
of Modi’s political dominance since tive democracy and performance-ori- wale similarly linked Modi’s tenure golden letters” in history. Puri went
2014. It also comes at a moment when ented governance.” to inclusive development. He argued further, arguing that the next twelve
the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is The NDA’s messaging focused that the government had worked years under Modi’s leadership could
seeking to project continuity, stabili- on continuity and governance. Ac- to ensure justice for “Dalits, tribals, create the foundation for a developed
ty and long-term governance as cen- cording to the Prime Minister’s Of- women, and the youth,” presenting and self-reliant India. Such statements
tral features of its political narrative. fice, Modi’s administration has been the administration as one that sought indicate how the BJP increasingly
At the same time, opposition leaders characterized by “stability, transpar- to extend the benefits of growth across frames Modi not only as a successful
have challenged both the interpre- ency, and a resolute commitment to social groups. incumbent but also as the leader of a
tation of the record and the broader the nation’s progress.” Such language Another coalition partner, Union long-term national transformation ex-
claims of success associated with Mo- reflects the BJP’s long-standing effort Minister Anupriya Patel, emphasized tending well into the future.
di’s tenure. to distinguish its governance model that the significance of the milestone Continued on next page... >>

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