Watch: Who is Makhanlal Sarkar? 98-year-old BJP veteran whose feet PM Modi touched during Bengal oath ceremony. His link to Syama Prasad Mukherjee explained

An emotional moment from the swearing-in ceremony of Suvendu Adhikari as the new Chief Minister of West Bengal has gone viral on social media after Prime Minister Narendra Modi was seen touching the feet of 98-year-old BJP veteran Makhanlal Sarkar.

The heartwarming gesture took place during the grand oath-taking ceremony held at Brigade Parade Ground in Kolkata on Saturday. PM Modi hugged Sarkar warmly before bowing down to seek his blessings, drawing loud applause from the audience present at the venue.

The swearing-in ceremony marked a major political milestone for the BJP as the party formed its first-ever government in West Bengal after securing a massive mandate in the 2026 Assembly elections.

Who is Makhanlal Sarkar?

Makhanlal Sarkar is regarded as one of the BJP’s earliest grassroots leaders in West Bengal and has remained closely associated with the nationalist movement since the early years after Independence.


Born nearly a century ago, Sarkar played an important role during the formative years of the Bharatiya Jana Sangh and later the BJP in north Bengal. A resident of Siliguri, he worked closely with Syama Prasad Mukherjee, the founder of the Bharatiya Jana Sangh, which later evolved into the BJP.

In 1952, Sarkar was arrested in Kashmir while accompanying Mukherjee during a movement demanding the hoisting of the Indian tricolour in the region. The movement later became one of the defining moments in the history of nationalist politics in India.

Makhanlal Sarkar’s Contribution to BJP in West Bengal

Following the formation of the BJP in 1980, Makhanlal Sarkar played a crucial organisational role in expanding the party’s presence across north Bengal.

He was appointed organisational coordinator for the districts of West Dinajpur, Jalpaiguri and Darjeeling. Within just a year, he reportedly helped enrol nearly 10,000 BJP members, strengthening the party at the grassroots level during a period when the BJP had very limited presence in the state.

From 1981 onwards, Sarkar served continuously for seven years as district president, considered a rare feat in BJP organisational history at the time, as leaders usually did not remain in the same role for more than two years.

Today, he is remembered by party workers as one of the pioneers who helped build the BJP’s foundation in West Bengal decades before the party emerged as a major political force in the state.

PM Modi’s Gesture Wins Praise Online

Videos of PM Modi greeting and touching the feet of Makhanlal Sarkar quickly began circulating online, with many social media users describing the moment as emotional and symbolic.

The Prime Minister arrived at the swearing-in venue amid loud chants of “Jai Shri Ram” from BJP supporters gathered at the Brigade Parade Ground. He waved to the crowd from an open vehicle after arriving in Kolkata earlier in the morning.

Thousands of BJP workers and supporters from different parts of the country attended the historic ceremony, celebrating the party’s victory after it won 207 seats in the 294-member West Bengal Assembly, ending the All India Trinamool Congress government’s 15-year rule in the state.

Inputs from agencies