UPA strange, Dilli mein dosti, gaon mein kushti: Narendra Modi

The man whom India Inc sees as the “next leader of India” is working hard to improve the BJP’s tally in Gujarat and filling in for late Pramod
Mahajan in Maharashtra.

As campaign in-charge of 78 seats in western India, a good show would catapult Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi into national politics. Whether he manages that or not, Modi is sure the Congress won’t put up a good show. “The Congress tally won’t reach double digits this time,” Modi tells Harit Mehta in an interview. Excerpts...

How is this election different from previous ones?
This is the first time in electoral history that both Congress and BJP have announced their prime ministerial candidates. It is a good trend.

Who will form the next government at the Centre?
BJP as well as allies will win more seats than last time.

Why do you feel so?
Because this country has remained leader-less for the past five years. Ask any Congressmen who is their leader, nobody names Manmohan Singh. When the party does not accept Singh as a leader, why would the country? When BJP announced LK Advani as PM candidate, all NDA allies backed him. Whereas UPA leaders be it Lalu Prasad or Sharad Pawar aspire to become PM. Their alliance is strange: Delhi mein dosti, gaon mein kushti (They are friends in Delhi and fight in the states). Voters are smart enough to understand why they are doing this.

How many seats will the UPA get?
Congress score will not reach double digits. They will get less than 100 seats. UPA’s allies have offered Congress just nine seats in Bihar, UP and Jharkhand. Need I say more?

Do parties have an election issue?
The main issue is: Does this country need politics of votebanks anymore . People of Gujarat have already rejected it and have opted for development politics. The rest of the country, especially the youth, also think on similar lines. UPA government’s failure in tackling terrorism and their wrong economic policies will be major issues. The country’s future lies in a strong leadership, which NDA can provide. The battle this time is between Congress parivarwaad (nepotism), Third Front’s takwaad (opportunism) and BJP’s rashtrawaad (nationalism). Let us see who wins.

Which will be a bigger issue, security or economy?
Both. People have lost faith in UPA as far as tackling terrorism goes. Taliban is wreaking havoc in Pakistan. The stretch between Pashupati (Nepal) to Tirupati has become a Red corridor for terror. Bangladesh has become the new breeding ground for terrorists. On the economic front, UPA has goofed up with its policies.

After Advani, you have also raised the black money issue?
This is not an election issue. Advaniji had written to the PM in this regard last year. But nothing moved. At the agenda meeting for G-20 summit held a few months back, the issue was raised again. But, it seems something is stopping the Congress from taking this issue up with the Swiss banks. Estimates suggest more than Rs 25 lakh crore belonging to Indians is lying in Swiss banks. We have a right to know the details and this is the right time. When we have an opportunity, why let it go?

The Modi magic hasn’t surfaced this time?
(Laughs). Good performance is the only magic that works. People don’t vote for BJP because of my speeches. They do so because of the hard work and results shown by our government over the last seven years.

Now that you are BJP’s campaign in-charge for the entire western region, are you looking at a bigger role in national politics?
I don’t think that way. I was given this additional responsibility because I have toured these areas extensively. Pramod Mahajan’s death has left a vacuum in Maharashtra. Moreover, most senior leaders are fighting elections themselves.

What is more important in candidate selection: winnability or clean image?
In today’s world, clean politics is a relative term.

But, why has BJP fielded tainted candidates in Gujarat?
The ones you are calling tainted have been acquitted by court. One must respect the judiciary. You cannot call them tainted.

BJP has also fielded a number of Congress turncoats in the state. Don’t you have good candidates?
It is not that. If a sitting MLA joins BJP, it is our achievement.

Eagle's Eye: It's Moditva and not Hindutva

BJP would be in trouble if it shuts its eyes on the attacks on members of Christian community in Orissa, opines RK Kutty `Sonia provoked me' so said Narendra Modi when he was called by the EC to explain his position on his remarks over Sohrabbuddin's killing recently. Sohrabuddin was done to death by the Gujarat police in an encounter and the case is in the Supreme Court. Celebrated lawyer in Supreme Court KTS Tulsi was defending the state of Gujarat in this case. The very day Modi thundered in an election rally, justifying the killing of Sohrabuddin, KTS Tulsi told the electronic media that he would withdraw from the case.

Narendra Modi, despite many odds stalked against him, has pulled up his third consecutive victory in Gujarat and will be on saddle for a good 5 years. Now, he also emerges the unquestionable authority in the BJP, a party which was already facing rough weather both internally as well as externally. The party was desperately hoping for a comeback and for that one more victory in Gujarat was absolutely necessary. The party leadership therefore gave a free hand to Narendra Modi in the elections in Gujarat. He works like an autocrat. There are only his men at all levels, committed, loyal Sanghis who brief and update him always on latest positions. It works almost like the committed cadre based party- the CPM of West Bengal. Modi might have taken a leaf out of Jyoti Babu's success story of leading the state consecutively four times. And the business/ industry community in Gujarat is more than happy, as Modi's power means a riot-free Gujarat.

When the election campaign started, Modi was giving more thrust on various developments the State had achieved during the BJP rule. People too were praising and glorifying him all along. But then what made him to shift the track and came up with the communal agenda was unclear. On the contrary, the Congress party too was campaigning vigorously. Earlier, some of its State level leaders were making tough verbatim against Modi. But soon it died down as many leaders started campaign, including the UPA Chairperson Ms Sonia Gandhi. Lately, Sonia Gandhi from the Congress side and Narendra from the BJP side were the two hot pursuants. Ever since Modi uttered his remarks on Sohrab killing which was in contravention of the RPA on which a petition was filed with the EC by social activist Teesta Setalvad, Modi perhaps felt the heat and turned for his defence, accusing Sonia Gandhi for provoking him. This clearly shows that Modi is a split personality. It seems exactly as a leading national daily published in its frontline photo feature `One man, two faces' (a sober, pious outward Modi and a red hot, robust inner Modi). Later on, the BJP's national leadership too came in defence of Modi, accusing Sonia for using words like `Maut ka Saudagar' in her election speech. Another accusation of some of the BJP stalwarts against Sonia was that she is anti-Hindu. It seems the BJP cannot think big and come out of its petty, narrow fundamentalist agendas, even after it learned hard lessons from its 2004 defeat on the same ground. Most of the allies of the BJP, like the TDP, DMK, TMC, National Conference & the JD (U) thereafter deserted the party only because of the errant ways of Modi. Now, except JD(U), which itself is a divided house (acrimonies are going on between the party's stalwarts -George Fernandes, Sharad Yadav and Nitish Kumar), no other party opened its cards in support of LK Advani who is being projected as the PM candidate should the NDA (united as hitherto fore) face the 2009 election. The BJP national leadership must note that the victory of Modi in the latest Assembly polls is the victory of `Moditva' and not `Hindutva'. They would be inviting further trouble for them at the national level, if they shut their eyes on the terror/mayhem now unleashed by its fringe elements like Bajrangdal and VHP in Orissa where members of the innocent Christian community are targeted. About 10-15 Churches have been burnt/destroyed and couple of people too lost their lives. Naveen Patnaik, an ally of the BJP, handles things so casually when the VHP marauders were taking law into their own hands. LK Advani is maintaining his stoic silence over the attack on Christians in Orissa. And that exactly would be the reason Indian electorates would never allow another comeback to the fundamentalist ideologues at the Centre.

Narendra Modi Biography, Narendra Bhai's Profile

Narendra Modi

Chief Minister, Gujarat

Narendra Modi was born on 17th September 1950 in a small town of Vadnagar in Mehsana district in North Gujarat in India.

Narendra Modi completed his schooling in Vadnagar and did his masters degree in Political Science from Gujarat University. Even as a boy he was interested in social services. During the Indo-Pak war in early sixties, he went to help the soldiers in transit in railway stations. In 1967 he offered voluntary services to the people affected in Narmada Tapti floods. He continued serving the victims of major disasters in various parts of the country in his student and adult life.

Narendra Modi's abilities and leadership qualities were seen in the early days of his student life when he became the student leader of Akhil Bhartiya Vidhyarthi Parishad (All India Students Council). He played a prominent role in the anticorruption movement in 1974 in Gujarat.

He entered politics in 1987 by joining the Bharatiya Janata Party. Within a year, he was elevated to the level of General Secretary of the Gujarat unit of the party. In 1995 he was made the National Secretary of the party in-charge of five major states in India – a rare distinction. He traveled extensively through out the world, which helped him to develop a global perspective.

After carving a niche for himself in the national politics as a master strategist, he took over as the Chief Minister of Gujarat on 7th October 2001.

Narendra Modi, who is ever capable of turning an adversity into an opportunity made use of his inexperience to start afresh, on a clean slate without the burden of the past. His beginner mind was a blessing in disguise for him to learn things without any bias and without the need to unlearn the dead past. Though he was a wandering type of Sangh Pracharak he had a wealth of national and international exposure with him. Immediately after the swearing in ceremony he swung into action. His administrative acumen, clear vision and integrity brought him a landslide victory in the general elections held in December 2002 and he was sworn in as the Chief Minister for the second term on 22nd December 2002.

The biggest challenge which Narendra Modi had to face when he took over as the Chief Minster was the reconstruction of the earthquake affected areas. Bhuj was a city of rubble. People were living in temporary shelters without basic infrastructure. Earthquake recovery became his first priority. His dynamic vision and quick decisions have put Gujarat Reconstruction Programme as one of the best reconstruction programmes on the global map and set a benchmark for reconstruction and disaster recovery, not only in India, but also in the entire Asia. Earthquake reconstruction and rehabilitation in Gujarat achieved global recognition.

Narendra Modi as soon as he took over as the Chief Minister focused quickly on integrated overall development. Along with industrial growth and economic development, he also focused on rural development, improvement in education, education of girl child, development of the deprived, agricultural development, science and technology and disaster management. Gujarat had always focused on industrial growth, but Narendra Modi made an attempt to correct the imbalance in development by focusing appropriately on social sectors, integrating social and economic growth. He put Gujarat on the road to integrated development with a special focus on five sectors namely – education, water, energy, human resources and safety & security.

Narendra Modi quickly shifted the gear from government centered administration to people centered administration. People's participation became the foundation of all development programs. Efficient application of information technology for governance, focus on agriculture, human resources development, delivery of health services, rural development and thrust on post disaster recovery has made Gujarat emerge as the leader among the Indian states in spite of a series of disasters.

Attention and priority given by Narendra Modi to education as compared to any other past Chief Minister of the state is also noteworthy. His realization that no amount of economic, industrial or commercial resurgence can be sustained on a long-term basis without the foundation of proper academic and professional education has made him re-work the whole system of education in Gujarat state. Successive annual campaigns for enrolment of all children in schools, with a special focus on enrolment of the girl child have brought lakhs of children back to school, who otherwise would have been left out. The concern of the Narendra Modi for education of the girl child is reflected in the fact that he has specially created a fund called “Kanya Kelavani Nidhi”. Now it is a well-known fact that all the gifts received by Narendra Modi are auctioned and the funds are credited to this account.

Narendra Modi has been constantly innovating for improving the efficiency and productivity in various sectors. One such innovative step is the decision to involve private sector for development of huge wastelands. Another innovative step is celebration of traditional festivals, and covert them into events of major tourist attraction. In a mobile world in order to make citizens really mobile, roaming ration cards and roaming school cards have been introduced. Provision of soil health cards to the farmers is another innovation to help farmers improve the land quality and ultimately agricultural productivity. “Sujalam Sufalam” scheme launched to create a grid of water resources in Gujarat is another innovative step towards water conservation and its appropriate utilization.

Vibrant Gujarat Global Investor's meet is an innovative bi-annual submit organized by Narendra Modi to attract investment from rest of the country and abroad. Narendra Modi in his five years of rule has ensured all round development of Gujarat in all areas including agriculture, rural development, education and industrial development. His vision is to make Gujarat emerge as the leader, not only in the Indian sub-continent, but also in the entire Asia to compete with Japan, Taiwan, and China.

Narendra Modi looks beyond the immediate gratification for the purpose of getting votes. The programmes such as Krushi Mahotsav, River Grid, Chiranjeevi & Matru Vandana schemes, schemes for reduction in infant mortality rate, Beti Bachavo campaign (save the girl child), Jyotigram, Karmayogi Abhiyan etc. aim at multi-dimensional development of Gujarat in the long-term. The vision, concept and implementation of such programmes make Narendra Modi rise as a statesman, who thinks of the next generation in the backdrop of politicians who think about the next elections.

UN Sasakawa Award for disaster reduction, CAPAM award for innovation in governance, UNESCO award, CSI award for e-governance, No.1 state in industrial investment (MOUs), No.1 among major health care services, availability and utility of infrastructure, Indiatech award in power sector etc. is an indicative list of what Gujarat achieved under the able Chief Ministership of Narendra Modi. The very fact that Narendra Modi has been ranked as the number one Chief Minister by the public for the second consecutive year speaks volumes about his achievements.

Narendra Modi is a powerful orator – avid reader and an original thinker. Apart from numerous articles and Essays, he also has authored three books.