25 Years Of Modi Governance: 2001 Archival Video Shows Narendra Modi Taking Oath As Gujarat CM, Crowd Cheering As His Journey Began

New Delhi: Twenty-five years ago today on October 7, 2001, Narendra Modi stood at Gujarat's Raj Bhavan in Gandhinagar approximately at around 11:06 am and took oath as the state's Chief Minister for the first time.

On Wednesday, October 7, 2026, as Modi completes 25 years at the helm of an elected government, the Bharatiya Janata Party looked back at that defining moment, sharing a cinematic archival video of his first swearing-in ceremony.

The video which is now doing round on social media took netizens back to a very different political moment a relatively new face taking charge of Gujarat as supporters and party leaders gathered to witness the beginning of a political journey that would eventually take him to the country's highest elected office.

2001: The Day Modi Took Charge Of Gujarat

The archival footage captures Modi taking the oath of office and secrecy at Raj Bhavan, Gandhinagar, on October 7, 2001.

Then 51, Modi succeeded Keshubhai Patel as Gujarat Chief Minister. He had not previously held an elected public office and came to the post after years of organisational work within the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh.

The ceremony marked his entry into executive governance.

As the oath was administered, senior BJP leaders and other political figures were present at the venue, while supporters gathered to witness the new Chief Minister assume charge.

Cheers, Cameras And A New Political Beginning

The BJP's newly shared reel gives the decades-old video a cinematic treatment, bringing the atmosphere of that day back into focus.

The visuals show Modi taking the oath over the 25 years of his governance amid the gathering of party leaders and supporters. The crowd's cheers and the formal ceremony capture the sense of anticipation surrounding the beginning of his tenure.

At the time, few could have known that the man taking oath in Gandhinagar would remain at the head of an elected government for the next quarter-century.

From Gujarat CM To Prime Minister

Modi went on to serve as Gujarat Chief Minister from 2001 to 2014 before moving to national politics.

In May 2014, he became Prime Minister of India after the BJP won the Lok Sabha elections. He subsequently returned to office for a second term in 2019 and a third in 2024.

The October 7, 2001 oath therefore represents the starting point of an uninterrupted 25-year journey in executive governance first in Gujarat and later at the national level.

A 25-Year Journey In One Archival Frame

The young politician seen taking oath in Gandhinagar in 2001 would go on to become one of India's most prominent political figures, leading governments at both the state and national levels.

Twenty-five years later, the BJP's decision to revisit the footage offers a visual time capsule of where that journey began.

From the oath-taking ceremony at Raj Bhavan to the Prime Minister's address marking 25 years in governance, October 7, 2026, brings the story full circle back to the day in 2001 when Narendra Modi first took charge as Gujarat Chief Minister.