The Modi Machine

Inside the most audacious prime ministerial campaign so far

Dawn of the Modi Era

INDIA TODAY’S cover story, “On the Modi Trail” (February 24), has given readers a wonderful insight into the painstakingly careful planning that goes into Narendra Modi’s rallies. Modi’s backroom boys, looking after the various cells in his election campaign, work in perfect coordination. With the whole BJP brass and RSS throwing their weight behind Modi, the latter also does not want to leave anything to chance. After all, even for Modi it is ‘now or never’. Hence, the minutest detail of each rally is worked out well in advance and the inputs keep pouring in right till the end. Finally, it is Modi’s oratorical skills that have created such a huge support base for him. The Modi juggernaut is on a roll and there is no stopping it now.

VIPUL PANDEY, Nainital

Narendra Modi toils hard, be it for governance or election campaigning. And to top it, he is a politician with insight and vision. If he be-

Meticulous planning, hard work and outof-the-box thinking are behind the success of Narendra Modi and not a publicity blitz, as propagated by some sections.

SAURABH SI NGH, Gurgaon

comes the prime minister, he will bring about positive change in India. People should give him a chance to prove his worth.

V.K. TANGRI, Dehradun

The biggest achievement of Narendra Modi, till now, has been his ability to dominate the poll campaigns of even opposition parties, be it the Congress or the Third Front. Apart from his governance skills and his well-planned rallies, Modi’s humble background is going to be a big plus in the forthcoming elections. Even though the Congress is trying to project itself as the party of the common man, it essentially remains the party of the elite. If Modi succeeds in his endeavour to become the next prime minister, he would be the real liberator of Indian democracy, bringing in a major paradigm shift, making the post of prime minister accessible to the common man.

RAJESH SAHAY, New Delhi

Even though it is not easy to predict the mind of the

Indian voter, Narendra Modi has a distinct advantage in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls. His meticulous poll campaign, the support of RSS, backing of the rightwing media as well as rich industrialists and the antiincumbency factor will all benefit the Gujarat Chief Minister in the elections.

JACOB SAHAYAM, via email

House of Horror

The excruciatingly embarrassing behaviour of our politicians in Parliament has brought shame on the nation (“The House That Killed the Bills”, February 24). Their absurd fascination for obtrusive ways of disrupting the proceedings of the House for showcasing their opposition is reprehensible. The bizarre incidents of pepper spraying, brandishing of knife and snatching of the presiding officer’s microphone have undoubtedly marked an alltime low in the annals of the history of the world’s largest democracy. Amid the persisting pandemonium, the fate of the 129 bills pending in Parliament is fraught with uncertainties, with the danger of many of them lapsing after the dissolution of the House looming large. I entirely endorse the view that in the present scenario of coalition politics, a fruitful dialogue between the Government, its allies and Opposition to build a consensus on legislative

issues is very important.

KESHAV P., Nagchala Mandi

Making a Mark

Arvind Kejriwal not only has a remarkably clear idea about the order of things but he is consistent in his thoughts and intent (“Kejriwal’s New Target Audience”, February 24). It is evident that his thrust on providing a clean and transparent alternative revolves around the anti-corruption platform that he has consistently and effectively focused on. It is important to note that his unabashed claim of both the principal parties, Congress and BJP, being corrupt has seemingly gone unchallenged—implying the obvious. Kejriwal, whatever critics say, is here to stay. He can well be the new star of Indian politics.

ANJUM M. SAMEL, Thane

Multiple factors—the Anna Hazare movement, the Delhi gang-rape case, media attention and the failure of the Government to tackle price rise and corruption—led to the rise of Arvind Kejriwal. But he is an over-ambitious and power-hungry person and his rise is but a fluke. God save his target audience, India, from the mess that he created in Delhi by rewarding his law-violating supporters with bribe in the form of fifty per cent rebate on power bills.

S.K. SHARMA, Mumbai