The high drama is over and Narendra Modi has been anointed as the BJP’s Prime Ministerial candidate. The sulks of elder statesman L.K. Advani caused a jarring note at the end. The Congress is still undecided about its Prime Ministerial candidate. The BJP now has the daunting task of shaping up to be a government-in-waiting. Modi has to extend his vision from Gujarat to the whole country. So far his party has been only an obstructionist opposition. People will now expect Modi to offer solutions to the deepening economic crisis. He cannot merely indulge in a blame game. True, the Gujarat model cannot apply to the whole country. India’s diversity stands in the way. The Congress has put in place a number of fruitful social sector schemes. Modi will have to suggest ways of going one better for the benefit of the poor and disadvantaged. From an investor friendly CM, he has to graduate to a people friendly Prime Minister-in-waiting. He has to rise above Hindutva, overriding the RSS factor. But he is not the sole saviour of the party. His politics is not acceptable to many in his organization. BJP chief Rajnath Singh backed him only after Nitin Gadkarni proved a non-starter.
Modi is already showing his acumen. He is talking about national issues, neighbours, terrorism, defence and secularism. He has had digs at the Prime Minister and Congress chief Sonia Gandhi. He has declared that Pakistan has to give up terrorism. Pakistan and Bangladesh should fight poverty and illiteracy. Modi criticized New Delhi’s soft response to the aggressiveness of Pakistan and China and hit out at the weakness of the Indian army. It is no doubt a good beginning.
