PM Modi Birthday 2026: Rajnath Singh in Varanasi as Ganga Puja, Cleanliness Drive and NDA Meet Take Centre Stage

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s 76th birthday is being marked with a series of events in Varanasi and Vadnagar, bringing together religious programmes, cleanliness activities, a large youth bike rally and the participation of senior National Democratic Alliance leaders. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh arrived in Varanasi on Wednesday evening ahead of the main celebrations. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu and Union minister and NDA ally Chirag Paswan are among the leaders scheduled to take part in the Varanasi programme. Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and other alliance leaders are also associated with the wider celebrations being held across the two cities.

The celebrations in Varanasi are being organised around the theme of connecting Modi’s birthplace, Vadnagar in Gujarat, with his parliamentary constituency, Varanasi. A motorcycle rally from Varanasi to Vadnagar is being flagged off as part of the “Janmbhoomi to Karmbhoomi” Seva Yatra, while a second rally is travelling in the opposite direction. According to reports, the twin rallies are part of the BJP’s month-long Seva Sankalp Abhiyan, which runs from September 17 to October 17.

Religious observances are another major feature of the programme in Kashi. Reports say 51 bikers will collect Ganga water and proceed towards the Kashi Vishwanath Temple, where Rajnath Singh and Yogi Adityanath are expected to join prayers. The religious programme is being held as part of the celebrations marking the Prime Minister’s birthday.

The city has also witnessed cleanliness activities ahead of the main events. A cleanliness drive was organised near the Swami Vivekananda statue in the Mint House-Nadesar area, with Uttar Pradesh minister JPS Rathore and Seva Sankalp Abhiyan national coordinator and MP B D Sharma taking part. BJP leaders in Varanasi have been overseeing preparations for the day’s programmes.

The birthday celebrations have a broader political and organisational dimension as well. The BJP has planned the month-long Seva Sankalp Abhiyan to mark Modi’s birthday and his completion of 25 years in public life. The campaign includes service-oriented programmes, public outreach activities and events intended to involve party workers and young people across the country. The Varanasi gathering is also significant for the NDA, with leaders from several alliance partners converging in Modi’s Lok Sabha constituency. Naidu is scheduled to participate in the programme in Varanasi, while Shinde, along with Anupriya Patel and other leaders, is linked to the Vadnagar leg of the celebrations. Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma, however, has indicated that he will not attend the Varanasi meeting.

The twin bike rallies are expected to cover a large distance and pass through multiple states and districts before their conclusion. Reports indicate that the journeys will pass through 193 districts and around 1,159 villages across 10 states, covering roughly 40,000 kilometres, with about 1,000 young participants involved. The rallies are scheduled to culminate on October 7. At the same time, Vadnagar is hosting its own set of programmes. Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel are scheduled to participate in a Maha Aarti at Sharmishtha Lake before flagging off a bike rally towards Varanasi. A cleanliness drive is also planned at Vadnagar railway station, making civic service a common theme across both locations.

With Varanasi serving as the focal point for the NDA gathering and Vadnagar marking the Prime Minister’s birthplace, this year’s celebrations combine religious ceremonies, public-service activities and a nationwide organisational campaign. The events are expected to continue through the coming weeks under the Seva Sankalp Abhiyan, keeping Varanasi at the centre of the birthday programme.

Disclaimer: This image is taken from Hindustan Times.