As Prime Minister Narendra Modi turns 75, he reflects on a landmark moment: his first ever electoral victory. On February 24, 2002, Modi contested and won a by-election from Rajkot II constituency, securing his place as a Member of the Gujarat Legislative Assembly.

Just months earlier, he had become Chief Minister of Gujarat, and this by-election was crucial: Indian constitutional norms require a Chief Minister to win a legislative seat within six months of appointment. The Rajkot II win thus gave democracy its stamp of legitimacy on his leadership in Gujarat.

Modi has often recalled this event as deeply meaningful. For him, Rajkot holds special significance not just as the site of his first win, but as the moment when public mandate affirmed his new role and responsibilities.

In the years that followed, he went on to win multiple elections at state and national levels, eventually becoming Prime Minister in 2014. But February 2002 remains a defining starting point in his electoral journey.