 |
| Narendra Modi (r.), portraying himself as the trustworthy steward of economic growth, on Tuesday celebrated his reelection
as the leader of prosperous Gujarat. Amit Dave/Reuters |
In Gujarat, India, Modi wins rare third term
A controversial Indian politician was reelected Tuesday – this time by stressing his economic track record, not sectarian politics.
By Mark Sappenfield | Staff writer of The Christian Science Monitorfrom the December 27, 2007 edition
Page 1 of 2
NEW DELHI - Narendra Modi has divided India. The next question is whether he will now conquer it.
On Tuesday, Mr. Modi was sworn in for his third term as chief minister of the prosperous state of Gujarat – a remarkable achievement in a country where politicians are almost universally viewed as liars and thieves and are seldom reelected. The event heralded his arrival as a figure of national import and cemented his status as the most polarizing politician in India.
To supporters, he represents the promise of Indian politics – showing that government can work when it takes a tough line on corruption and follows sound economic policy. To critics, he embodies the worst of India's past and present – winning elections by inflaming anti-Muslim hatred among his Hindu constituents.
Both have elements of truth, say political analysts here. But for India as a whole, Modi's victory marks a moment of maturation more than retrogression, they argue. His communal rhetoric would not work in other parts of India. But his ability to portray himself as the trustworthy steward of Gujarat's economic growth – and the apparent success of this strategy – is unprecedented.
To political leaders in New Delhi and beyond, it suggests that, as the benefits of the Indian economic boom slowly spread, they might be able to seek reelection on a record of accomplishment, rather than relying on caste and religion.
"Past elections have suggested that good governance does not translate into votes," says Yashwant Deshmukh, an election analyst in New Delhi. "In this election, people connected it directly to the leader and are giving a second mandate to someone who is seen to have delivered."
Next job: prime minister?
The sheer shock of someone as controversial as Modi winning a second term has been enough to vault him into the conversation about potential candidates for prime minister in 2009. The decisiveness of the vote – with his party winning 55 more seats than its closest opposition – has only added to the momentum. "Today, Gujarat. Tomorrow, New Delhi," has been the mantra of recent days.
But success in Gujarat does not equal success in other parts of India, experts say. Of greatest concern is Modi's strong adherence to Hindutva – the Hindu-first ideology of his party, the Bharat Janata Party (BJP), disparaged by critics as anti-Muslim.
Modi continues to be shadowed by allegations, most recently in an investigative report by the reputable magazine Tehelka, that he did nothing to stop – or may have even sanctioned – riots that broke out in Gujarat after a train of Hindu pilgrims was set on fire in 2002. Thousands of Muslims were killed and tortured in revenge during the riots, leading the head of the opposition party, Sonia Gandhi, to label the leaders of Gujarat "merchants of death," during the recent campaign.
RSS feed
){kind=link}