Narendra Modi completed 12 years of continuous rule as the Gujarat chief minister today. During this 12-years tenur, he not only hard-sold the so-called ‘Gujarat model of development’ but also got himself nominated as the BJP’s prime ministerial candidate for the 2014 elections. Modi is the 14th chief minister of Gujarat. According to a government release, “This is a record… No chief minister has served continuously for 12 years.”
The man who started as a vendor serving tea to customers at a railway station in Gujarat has come a long way in politics after he joined the RSS as a pracharak and later became associated with the BJP. Narendra Modi, the 63-year-old leader was last month anointed as the prime ministerial candidate of the BJP for the 2014 Lok Sabha polls. Modi was born on 17 September 1950 to a family of grocers in Vadnagar in Mehsana district of what was then Bombay State (present-day Gujarat). He was the third of six children born to Damodardas Mulchand Modi and his wife, Heeraben. While a teenager, Modi ran a tea stall with his brother around a bus terminus. He completed his schooling in Vadnagar, where a teacher described him as being an average student but a keen debater. He began work in the staff canteen of Gujarat State Road Transport Corporation (GSRTC), where he stayed till he became a full–time pracharak (propagator) of the RSS. After Modi had received some RSS training in Nagpur, which was a prerequisite for taking up an official position in the Sangh Parivar, he was given charge of the Sangh’s student wing, the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), in Gujarat. Modi organised rallies and covert distribution of Sangh’s pamphlets during the Emergency. During his years in the RSS, Modi came in touch with Vasant Gajendragadkar and Nathalal Jaghda, leaders of the Jan Sangh, who later founded the BJP’s Gujarat state unit. He remained a pracharak in the RSS while he completed his Master’s degree in political science from Gujarat University. In 1998, Modi was promoted to the post of National Secretary of the BJP. Modi was a key strategist for the BJP in the successful 1995 and 1998 Gujarat state election campaigns.
He first became chief minister of Gujarat in October 2001, being promoted to the office upon the resignation of his predecessor, Keshubhai Patel, following the defeat of BJP in by-elections. Patel’s failing health, allegations of abuse of power and poor administration, the loss of some BJP seats in by-elections, the after-effects of the devastating Bhuj Earthquake of 2001 which his administration struggled to handle, all these factors prompted the BJP’s national leadership to seek a new candidate for the office of chief minister. Modi, who had aired his misgivings about Patel’s administration, was chosen as a replacement. However, LK Advani did not want to ostracise Patel and was worried about Modi’s lack of experience in governance. It was suggested that Modi should be made the deputy chief minister in a government led by Patel. But Modi declined the proposal and told Advani and Atal Behari Vajpayee that he was “going to be fully responsible for Gujarat or not at all”.
On 7 October 2001, Modi was appointed the Chief Minister of Gujarat and was assigned responsibility to prepare the BJP for elections in December 2002. Since then, Modi has led his party, the BJP, to score three consecutive electoral victories, almost pushing the opposition to fringe. In 2002, there was a widespread Anti-Muslim violence throughout Gujarat after reports that a crowd of Muslims had attacked a train carrying mostly Hindu pilgrims and set it on fire near Godhra railway station, burning alive many of the passengers. As riots broke out, the Gujarat administration was accused by the opposition and sections of the media of taking insufficient action against the violence, and even condoning it in some cases. The Modi government’s imposition of curfews, shoot-at-sight orders and calls for the Army to prevent the violence from worsening proved insufficient. In April 2009, the Supreme Court of India appointed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to inquire into the Gujarat government and Narendra Modi’s role in the incidents of communal violence. The SIT reported to the court in December 2010 submitting that they did not find any incriminating evidence against Modi of wilfully allowing communal violence in the state. In April 2012, the SIT absolved Modi of any involvement in the Gulbarg Society massacre that occurred in 2002. On 7 May 2012, the Supreme Court-appointed amicus curiae, Raju Ramachandran, observed that Modi could be prosecuted for promoting enmity among different groups during the 2002 Gujarat violence. The amicus curiae report has been criticised by the Special Investigation Team for relying heavily on the testimony of Sanjiv Bhatt.
In March 2012, Modi appeared on the cover of the Asian edition of the Time magazine, one of India’s few politicians to have done so. His leadership was described as being strong and businesslike; one that could guide India towards honesty and efficiency.
In July 2013, Zakia Jaffri, widow of Ehsan Jafri, alleged that the SIT was suppressing evidence. Soon after, Modi told Reuters an interview that he feels no guilt. He said he was sad about the riots, adding he would be sad even if a “puppy” came under a car. Modi said, “… any person if we are driving a car, we are a driver, and someone else is driving a car and we’re sitting behind, even then if a puppy comes under the wheel, will it be painful or not? Of course, it is. If I’m a Chief Minister or not, I’m a human being. If something bad happens anywhere, it is natural to be sad.” As for his personality, a Wikipedia entry says this: He (Modi) is known for leading a frugal lifestyle. Known to be a workaholic and an introvert, but he is a crowd-puller as a speaker.”
He also has a proven electoral track record amid controversy. In the aftermath of the Gujarat violence, there were calls for Modi to resign from his position as chief minister of Gujarat. The opposition parties stalled Parliament over the issue. Both the DMK and the TDP, allies of the BJP, also asked for Modi’s resignation, as did Jayalalithaa, the then-Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu and leader of the AIADMK. Modi submitted his resignation and the state Assembly was dissolved. In the resultant elections, the BJP, led by Modi, won 127 seats in the 182-member assembly.
In July 2007, Modi became the longest-serving Chief Minister in Gujarat’s history when he had been in power for 2,063 days continuously. He is currently into his fourth consecutive term as Chief Minister. A media statement issued by the state information department on Monday said, “In the last 12 years, Gujarat has showcased and implemented the policy of development to all and appeasement to none.” “Chief Minister Modi has demonstrated how to face challenges and come out of them successfully. He has converted adversities into opportunities,” the statement added.
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