Overview
- At Suvendu Adhikari’s oath ceremony in Kolkata, Prime Minister Narendra Modi touched Makhanlal Sarkar’s feet, embraced him, and sought his blessings.
- Sarkar later said he was “reaping the rewards of my honesty” and urged the new state government to prioritize development, schooling, and jobs for young people.
- The nonagenarian is a longtime organizer from north Bengal who accompanied Bharatiya Jana Sangh founder Syama Prasad Mukherjee to Kashmir in the early 1950s, when he was arrested during that campaign.
- After the BJP formed in 1980, he coordinated party work in West Dinajpur, Jalpaiguri, and Darjeeling, and party leaders credit him with enrolling nearly 10,000 members within a year.
- The public recognition came as the BJP formed its first government in West Bengal with Suvendu Adhikari as chief minister, reinforcing a bridge from veteran cadre to the new administration’s mandate.