Modi, Modi and only Modi!

As I am writing this many in BJP cadre are celebrating, in fact the happiness is infectious.
On a path that from humble roots as the son of a tea-shop owner has led to running for leadership of the world’s biggest democracy, Modi has methodically built a fervent fan base.
Supporters including me believe that he has the drive needed to salvage the sagging economy and make India a regional superpower.
Detractors see an authoritarian extremist who could fan sectarian tension in the religiously diverse nation which is increasingly minority controlled, that will change! And it’s a positive note.
Within eight months, India is due to hold its largest-ever general election. Modi’s elevation means that the polls will pit the business-friendly Chief Minister of Gujarat against the Centre-Left Congress party, which critics say appears to be at the head of a fractious ruling coalition after a decade in power.
A crowd of jubilant Modi supporters (wish I was there) gathered outside BJP’s headquarters in New Delhi ahead of the formal decision to name him the party’s candidate for the Prime Minister’s post, dancing, setting off crackers and handing out sweets.
For many Modi is the man of the moment. The slogans ‘Sab Ka Vikas ….Sab Ka Saath’ (Everyone’s improvement together) and ‘Ek Bharat Shreest Bharat’ (One India, One Great Nation) had been doing rounds since 2009. At that time however, there was no major movement like the one that is happening now.
What is happening now according to Smt. Nirmala Seetharaman (BJP parliamentarian) is path-breaking. Never in the history of India has mass appeal for a leader become so pronounced.
Modi is known for rousing speeches and biting attacks on the Nehru-Gandhi dynasty that leads the Congress party. The government’s final years have been tarnished by graft scandals and poor performance of Asia’s third-largest economy.
Modi’s main opponent, as of now, may be Mr. Rahul Gandhi, an establishment insider who represents the fourth generation of a dynasty that has governed India for more than two-thirds of the 66 years since independence from British Rule in 1947. Gandhi’s late father, grandmother and great-grandfather were all Prime Ministers, which may be his only qualification to the top post.
Rahul Gandhi is a dimwit and most of his speeches recently lacked the power to move the people as Modi’s do. In fact, the Congress is now facing a dilemma as who to project as a leader for the elections. Gandhi sought to diminish Modi’s achievements at a rally this week, contrasting the Congress Party’s welfare programmes for farmers and the poor with Modi’s business focus. He was jeered at. By comparison, Modi is a self-written success story, who has presided over a decade of double-digit growth in Gujarat, boasting a thriving manufacturing sector and earning reputation as efficient administrator who speaks the language of business. Car manufacturers Ford, Maruti Suzuki and Tata Motors have been drawn to Gujarat which, though unusual in India, enjoys regular electricity supplies and smooth roads.
“The Indian stock market’s greatest hope is the emergence of Gujarat Chief Minister Shri. Narendra Modi as the BJP’s prime ministerial candidate”, Christopher Wood, Chief Equity Strategist at CLSA Asia Pacific Markets told The Economic Times this week.
‘Socially polarizing’ ,an opinion poll published last week found that three-quarters of Indian business leaders believe the government of 80-year-old Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh has mismanaged the economy and they want Modi to lead the country.
The battle is yet to begin but from the looks of it, it seems that we can already guess the winner!