Narendra Modi tipped as India's next prime minister

[JagtarSinghKhalsa]

Narendra Modi tipped as India's next prime minister

Narendra Modi, the Hindu nationalist chief minister reviled for failing to stop the 2002 massacre of Muslims in Gujarat, was hailed as a candidate for India's next prime minister after a landslide victory in the state elections.

His victory strengthened his position to lead India's mainstream opposition party, the Bharatiya Janata Party in the 2014 general election campaign after a number of senior BJP allies voiced serious concerns over his suitability.

Mr Modi has been one of India's most controversial political leaders since the 2002 riots when communal clashes led to the killing of between 790 and 2000 Muslims and several hundred Hindus throughout Gujarat.

The violence was sparked by reports of that 54 Hindus had been killed in a fire after Muslims attacked their train at Godhra.

More than 30 Hindus were sentenced to life imprisonment for their role in the killings in 2011 while in July this year another 32 people were convicted including Mr Modi's former women and child development minister, Maya Kodnani, who was jailed for 28 years for murder during two riots in which 95 people were killed.

The chief minister was accused of failing to stop the killing at best and encouraging the violence at worst, a charge he has strongly denied. The United States however said there was evidence of complicity among officials and police and revoked Mr Modi's visa in 2005. Britain boycotted the Gujarat government in response to the killings which included the murder of three British nationals.

Despite the controversy surrounding his role at the time of the riots, his stature has grown steadily since then and he has built a reputation for turning Gujarat into one of India's best-governed and most affluent states.

His party has lost the last two general elections and has yet to transform its fortunes, but Mr Modi is increasingly seen as the leader who could finally return the Hindu nationalist party to power.

Britain announced it would end its boycott in October and sent its High Commissioner to meet Mr Modi as part of its drive to increase trade with India, while the United States said he would be eligible to apply for another visa. Both decisions were driven in part by the possibility that Mr Modi could be India's next prime minister.

He won 115 of 182 seats in the state assembly and marked his victory by apologising for his past mistakes while his supporters chanted "PM" in celebration. The BJP's leader in the Indian parliament's upper house, Arun Jaitley, said his past should no longer constrain his future.

"Gujarat had a very unfortunate situation in the social tensions, in the riots in 2002. Now the agenda of politics of Gujarat has grown, Narendra Modi has grown. He has tried his best to get out of that agenda and take Gujarat to a very positive agenda. And this election, if you see, is a result of that positive agenda," he said.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/india/9758527/Narendra-Modi-tipped-as-Indias-next-prime-minister.html

[JagtarSinghKhalsa]

India speculation over 'national role' for Narendra Modi

BBC News

21 December 2012 Last updated at 05:04

Mr Modi is tipped as a future prime minister of India

Speculation mounted in the Indian media about a possible national role for Hindu nationalist leader Narendra Modi, after he won an emphatic fourth term in Gujarat state polls.

Papers say Mr Modi has emerged as the strongest prime ministerial candidate for his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

The BJP won 115 seats in the 182-seat assembly

Mr Modi called it a "victory for all those people of the country who are yearning for development".

Under his leadership, Gujarat has been turned into one of India's economic powerhouses.

But he is seen as a divisive figure, having been chief minister during the 2002 religious riots when more than 1,000 people, mostly Muslims, were killed.

Mr Modi was accused of doing little to stop the riots, although he denies this.

'Polarising figure'

"Through this verdict... I would like to tell [people in the country] that we have to build a campaign for good governance," Mr Modi said after his victory, a hint, according to the Hindustan Times newspaper, at "national ambitions".

The win proved that "Mr Modi cannot be described as just another regional leader any more", the newspaper said.

Writing in The Indian Express newspaper, analyst Pratap Bhanu Mehta said Mr Modi's "triumph is an emphatic political achievement".

"He, like a handful of other chief ministers brilliantly grasped the fact that Indian politics is deeply aspirational. It rewards governance."

But, Mr Mehta wrote, the leader's "path to a greater national role is still fraught".

"No chief minister has been able to make an easy transition to national politics. No one can hope to govern India if they are incapable of a statesman-like synthesising capacity. No one can govern India for long if they make minorities feel insecure.

"And popular acclaim notwithstanding, it has to be said that Mr Modi has not yet given evidence that he can make the transition to a genuine statesman."

The Hindu newspaper said Mr Modi's decisive win was "enough to get all the party's national leaders to brace themselves for a challenge".

"Unsurprisingly, the BJP rank-and-file is pushing Mr Modi to take the long march to Delhi. It is a different matter that the party's second rung - not to speak of its key allies - seem not too enthused by the project," the newspaper said.

The Times of India said Mr Modi's "transition to the national stage won't be easy".

The newspaper said Mr Modi remained a "deeply polarising figure" and was "viewed as an abrasive lone-ranger" in his party.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-20807444

[JasSinghKhalsa]

I was speaking to a Gujarati friend yesterday and he told, a Gujarati will never be entertained as an Indian PM by North Indians.

According to my friend, they played the game earlier when Nehru didn't allowed Vallabhai Patel to lead INC and become the PM of India irrespective of Patel winning majority support in state-INC elections in all states (prior to 1947), Gandhi backed Nehru and asked Patel to leave PM position to Nehru or else Nehru will break the Congress. Evidence - Movie Sardaar.

Also, see the attitude of Sushma Swaraj/BJP on Narendra Modi earlier and a day later when all of BJP refused to entertain/project him as PM of India. The only way (as per my friend) a Gujarati can become a PM is if Gujarat was a seperate Azaad rashtra (swadesh), Narendra Modi can then become its PM, as Vallabhai Patel could had been the PM of 1st Azaad Gujarat Swadesh.

[Mehtab Singh]

As much as I dislike Narendra Modi for allowing the carnage of 3000 Muslims in Gujarat in 2002, however, in view of the substantial progress Gujarat has made under him, and considering the fact that they (yes, including the Muslims of Gujarat) voted him CM for the 3rd time, I am forced to think that perhaps he is the next best option to be the PM of India in 2014. Am I wrong? Is there something I am missing?

[Jonny101]

The bjp has no other strong candidate who has a chance to beat the congress. He is their only alternative. That being said he is monster for what he did during the riots. In that case he is just as bad as the current congress leadership who also have blood on their hands

[Sherdil]

What are implications for Sikhs if he wins?

If BJP controls the centre, then BJP in Punjab will be less reliant on Akali Dal.

BJP / Shiv Sena / RSS may become more brazen in their anti-Sikh activities.

[Raaj.Karega.Khalsa]

Is it actually true that there's a ban on alcohol trade/consumption in Gujrat?

Editted: oh! here it is! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prohibition_in_India#Gujarat

I wonder what made them to do that? It can't be because of Dwaarka (religious grounds) coz the ban is in other three states and a union territory as well.

I don't understand. Why only these few states?

[Mehtab Singh]

Is it actually true that there's a ban on alcohol trade/consumption in Gujrat?

hanji

[JasSinghKhalsa]

hanji

Gujarati NRIs who go to Gujarat get a special license from HCI-London (UK), which enables them to take liquor with them or to buy liquor in Gujarat.

[Mehtab Singh]

I think Sikhs need to use some sort of chalaaki this time, or lets say, siyaanap. I think Bhai Gurdas Jee says Gursikh should be "andro siyaana baahro bhola", meaning clever within and sidha-sadha on the outside. But this chalaaki or siyaanap should also be without any intention to harm anyone, more like intended to safeguard oneself through smartness.

Lets presume Modi comes to power and is the next PM. Among the first things he is going to do to make minorities feel comfortable is to appease them whatever way he can. He knows he can't do a good job at appeasing Muslims as they hate him already, so guess who is he going to try next? Yes, Sikhs! And how is he going to do that? He will (hopefully) make serious and genuine attempts to punish the perpetrators of the 1984 carnage. I say Sikh leadership should take every possible step to manipulate this. We should make sure those guys are punished severely.

Now hang on, I am NOT saying to support BJP as they are the illegitimate cousins of the RSS, our "evergreen foes". They are the same people who will not think twice before propagating the "Sikh are Hindus" or "Sikhs are an offshoot/branch of Hinduism" poster. We're all well aware of that and are not gonna neglect it or step down from opposing that notion. All I am saying is we need to exert maximum pressure on them when they go after the Congress politicians who killed Sikhs in 1984, because guess what, they ARE going to do that anyways! So lets make sure they DO put the noose on those culprits. As far as other issues are concerned, we do NOT need to stand by them, but in terms of Sikh issues, we need to make sure the final outcome in in favor of the Panth.

Just my thoughts. What do you think? I am thinking too much into it so please point out wherever I am wrong.