NARENDRA MODI

September 17, 1950

Almost every way you look at it, Narendra Modi is the most extraordinary man to ever become Prime Minister of India. He was not born into a political family, had few allies at the top echelons of his party, never had an opportunity to carve out a national profile for himself and had been written off by many observers after the Gujarat riots of 2002 which led such countries as the US to deny him a visa. Modi made it to the top by playing the ‘outsider’ card, by capitalising on the leadership failures of Manmohan Singh and the corruption scandals that destroyed UPA II, and by using social media and technology (including holograms) to get his message across. Because he had no godfather, he has been his own man as Prime Minister, making his own rules and keeping his party in a state of terrified obeisance. He has proved to be politically nimble too, dumping his pro-industry plank for a more populist pro-poor position. Such is the dexterity with which he and his closest aside Amit Shah have run India that the Opposition has seemed weak and confused. Last month, Nitish Kumar, once regarded as a potential rival, threw in the towel and pledged his sword to Modi. It is too early to make predictions but as of now, Modi seems set to win a second term. Ten years of Modi will mean that he will remake India to his own vision and philosophy.