PM Modi touches feet of 98 year old Makhanlal Sarkar in West Bengal; Who is he?
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday met and took blessings of 98-year-old BJP veteran Makhanlal Sarkar during a public event in West Bengal, drawing attention to the senior party worker’s long political journey and association with India’s nationalist movement.
Makhanlal Sarkar is regarded as one of the most senior grassroots workers of the Bharatiya Janata Party in West Bengal and has been associated with organisational activities since the early post-Independence era.
According to reports, Sarkar was linked to the early nationalist movement and is known for his association with events connected to Bharatiya Jana Sangh founder Syama Prasad Mukherjee.
In 1952, he was reportedly arrested in Kashmir while accompanying Mukherjee during a movement related to the hoisting of the Indian national flag in the region, an event that holds historical significance in the party’s political narrative.
After the formation of the Bharatiya Jana Sangh and later the BJP, Sarkar took on organisational responsibilities in West Bengal. In 1980, following the formation of the BJP, he was appointed as an organisational coordinator for regions including West Dinajpur, Jalpaiguri and Darjeeling.
Party records and reports suggest that within a year, he played a key role in expanding the party’s grassroots presence, helping enrol thousands of members across the region.
From 1981 onwards, he also served as a district president for several years, a tenure considered unusually long compared to typical organisational postings at the time.
At 98, Makhanlal Sarkar is seen within party circles as part of the early generation of workers who helped establish the BJP’s base in West Bengal.
During the event, Prime Minister Modi’s gesture of taking his blessings was widely noted as a mark of respect for the veteran leader’s decades-long association with the party.
