In a powerful moment of humility, signifying his gratitude to the people of West Bengal for bringing the BJP to power in the state for the very first time since the party’s inception, PM Narendra Modi on Saturday bowed fully to the people of West Bengal with his knees on the ground.

The prime minister began his iconic gesture of gratitude by waving at the cheering crowds from a podium with red carpeting. Following this, the prime minister slowly bowed before the crowds until his knees were placed on stage and his hands were extended forward and firmly planted on the ground.

A line of leaders including Suvendu Adhikari, who took oath as Bengal’s first BJP chief minister along with his cabinet members, stood to the right of the Prime Minister while he performed this gesture. During the ceremony at Kolkata’s Brigade Parade Grounds, Prime Minister Narendra Modi also touched the feet of Makhanlal Sarkar, a 97-year-old veteran Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) worker.  

A Siliguri resident and one of the oldest BJP workers in West Bengal,  Makhanlal Sarkar has been dedicated to the party for decades. The prime minister had spent considerable time campaigning in Bengal ahead of the election addressing large rallies and eating some of the state’s notable snacks like ‘Jhulmuri’ (crisps).  

Shah also put in long, hard hours to ensure a BJP win with numerous roadshows and rallies. The Prime Minister’s long bow to the people of Bengal is being seen by many online as a gesture that’s symbolic of how important a victory in West Bengal is for the Modi-Shah led BJP which has strengthened their grip on North-East India, following a big win in Assam.

“I bow to West Bengal’s Jana Shakti!The people’s blessings are the truest strength of democracy and the noblest source of public resolve,” PM Modi captioned his post on X.

Suvendhu took his oath as West Bengal’s first chief minister from the BJP along with 5 of his initial cabinet members namely Ashok Kirtania, Khudiram Tudu, Nisith Pramanik, Agnimitra Paul and Dilip Ghosh.