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Siliguri: Veteran BJP worker Makhanlal Sarkar on Sunday said he was "reaping the rewards of honesty" after Prime Minister Narendra Modi felicitated him and sought his blessings during the swearing-in ceremony of the BJP government in West Bengal.

The interaction took place at Kolkata's Brigade Parade Ground on May 9, where Suvendu Adhikari took oath as the state's first BJP Chief Minister since Independence, following the party's sweeping victory in the 2026 Assembly elections.

Speaking to ANI here, the 98-year-old veteran BJP worker expressed happiness over the political shift in the state and said he hoped the new government would focus on development and employment generation.

"...I am reaping the rewards of my honesty... I always wish that there should be development in West Bengal, that the youth receive a good education, and that the people of the state do not have to go outside in search of employment. Now, the government should work for the development of the state..." Sarkar said.

Makhanlal Sarkar is regarded as one of the earliest grassroots figures associated with the nationalist movement in post-Independence India. In 1952, he was arrested in Kashmir while accompanying Bharatiya Jana Sangh founder Syama Prasad Mukherjee during a movement to hoist the Indian tricolour there.

Following the formation of the BJP in 1980, Sarkar served as organisational coordinator for West Dinajpur, Jalpaiguri and Darjeeling districts. Within a year, he reportedly helped enrol nearly 10,000 members into the party. From 1981 onwards, he served continuously for seven years as district president, an uncommon feat during that period.

The BJP registered a historic victory in the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections by winning 207 seats, while the Trinamool Congress secured 80 seats after ruling the state for 15 years.

Suvendu Adhikari, who contested from Nandigram and Bhabanipur, defeated outgoing Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee from Bhabanipur by over 15,000 votes.

Several senior BJP leaders, including Rajnath Singh, JP Nadda and Dharmendra Pradhan, attended the swearing-in ceremony.