Union Minister for Heavy Industries and Steel H.D. Kumaraswamy on Wednesday, 7 October 2026, lauded Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 25-year journey in public life, saying it reflected a rare ability to sustain coalition relationships built on trust, mutual respect, and a shared national commitment. Kumaraswamy made the remarks in a formal media statement from Bengaluru, coinciding with Modi completing a quarter-century in elected office.

Allies as Equal Partners, Not Numbers

Kumaraswamy said what distinguished Modi's political journey was not merely its longevity but the manner in which he had maintained relationships across the political spectrum. “He has never treated alliance partners as mere numbers. Instead, he has given allies the space and freedom to contribute, listened to their concerns and worked with them as equal partners in the larger national endeavour,” Kumaraswamy said.

The Union Minister added that he had personally experienced this approach. “He has given complete freedom to alliance partners while also providing guidance whenever required,” he said, describing the arrangement as one of mutual confidence and shared responsibility that had helped the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) remain a stable political partnership.

From Gujarat CM to Three-Term Prime Minister

Kumaraswamy recalled that Narendra Modi was sworn in as Gujarat Chief Minister on 7 October 2001 and served the state for 13 years before transitioning to national office. Modi was first elected Prime Minister in 2014, completed two full terms, and entered a third consecutive term — a record few in post-Independence Indian politics have matched.

According to Kumaraswamy, Modi's capacity to accommodate differing perspectives while keeping the larger national interest at the centre had been a defining strength of the NDA coalition model.

Milestone Governance Initiatives Cited

The minister listed several programmes and events he associated with Modi's tenure, including Digital India, Jan Dhan, the Goods and Services Tax (GST), Ayushman Bharat, the Gati Shakti infrastructure framework, the abrogation of Article 370, the Chandrayaan-3 mission, and the Aatmanirbhar Bharat initiative. He said Modi's tenure had coincided with India's growing global presence and an increasingly ambitious national development agenda.

Good Wishes for Viksit Bharat Journey

On the occasion of the 25-year milestone, Kumaraswamy extended his best wishes to the Prime Minister and expressed hope that the coming years would further strengthen India's trajectory toward a Viksit Bharat — the government's stated vision of a developed India by 2047. The tribute underscores the NDA's ongoing effort to project internal cohesion ahead of future electoral cycles.