CHATTER THAT MATTERS
Many Indians have begun comparing Narendra Modi’s popularity with that of Indira Gandhi’s. Indeed, the BJP’s victories in the recent state elections in Uttar Pradesh, Goa, Manipur and Uttarakhand have shown that Modi remains India’s most powerful and popular politician whose image hasn’t been dented by demonetisation, farm laws, or the Covid crisis. But is he India’s biggest leader ever post-Independence? Here’s what Mumbaikars have to say.
Definitely Narendra Modi is one of the biggest leaders India has ever seen. There may be debates on who is better or more popular amongst the likes of Nehru or Indira or Modi and that perception may change from person to person. But he is one of the very few who has been seen as leading from the front, taking ownership of the good and the bad of his government. The biggest quality I see in him is the people's connect he has accomplished. In India, a successful politician is the one who wins the common man's heart. And Modi has done that. People listen to his calls, just because they believe and support him unconditionally. And the success of ‘thali bajao’ during the pandemic was one of the biggest examples of that. — Yogesh Parvate
India has seen some great leaders since Independence in 1947; the leaders who led our country in crisis such as natural calamities to wars. Modi is a great leader but we witnessed how terrible the country’s condition was during the height of Covid pandemic. The challenges before our nation are growing, such as rising inflation and unemployment but the government is worried only about winning elections. — Pravin Wadichar
At present Modi is without a doubt a great leader. His people-friendly schemes, especially for the poor and the downtrodden irrespective of caste and religion, have made him popular. These are the people who are silent voters and followers. Even during the Covid pandemic, lakhs of people were provided with essential commodities and groceries irrespective of their political ideology and religious beliefs. — Sanjay Jaiswal
If you see the results of the recent elections, the BJP has won in all states except Punjab. I think people still have faith in Modi. It has been said that Modi's popularity had been affected after demonetisation and bad management during Covid. But there is absence of strong opposition in the country. For now, there is no alternative to Modi. — Kunal Jadhav
I don't think it would be proper to say that Narendra Modi is India's biggest leader ever, as we have seen several great leaders such as Indira Gandhi and many more. But Modi is certainly the biggest leader of modern India. He has a connect with people across the country. Nobody looks as tall as Modi in the current political scenario in India. — Kishore Pandey
I don't think that Narendra Modi can be labelled as the biggest leader ever in our country. He can be one of such big leaders the nation has seen. If he is a big leader then why the BJP didn't win in Punjab or Rajasthan? I believe all the leaders have a time span in which they enjoy stardom for some time and gradually it fades. — Ankit Bhatt
I don't think Modi is the biggest leader. He is the biggest manipulator. Whatever he has achieved is through manipulation and for me, it's not a mark of a good leader. — Ajith Krishan
Yes. Modi is one of the biggest leaders. Even during his tenure as Gujarat’s chief minister and now as prime minister, he has shown potential to deliver during troubled times. — Urvi Shroff
I n today's India, there is no bigger leader than Modi for which there are many reasons, and one being lack of a proper opposition to challenge him. He is on top in terms of popularity and power today. But if we see the past, I think there have been many Indian leaders who were much bigger than Modi. Jawaharlal Nehru and Indira Gandhi were much bigger than Modi in terms of stature and power. — Shekhar Chogle
No, Modi is not India’s biggest leader ever. India has seen great leaders such as Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi who had the same impact on the Indian society like Modi has now, so that doesn’t make Modi the biggest leader ever. I think the biggest leader will be the one who will not just be supported by his own party but will also be respected by — Ashwin Adhav
No. Modi may be a popular politician right now but he is not the biggest. Winning elections by advancing agendas cannot be a measure of a great leader. Giving relief to the general public with one hand and taking it away with the other hand through GST and high prices of petrol and diesel cannot be a sign of development. — Vijay Pandit
Yes, other than Narendra Modi, I don't see any other leader of his stature in the country today. He is a mass leader and the BJP winning most elections proves that. There has been so much negative publicity about him but it seems nothing is working against him. Other leaders associated with him indirectly are also benefiting due to his charisma. — Suvarna Mahadik