19/04/2014
Narendra Modi not just scored a
hat-trick of victories in Gujarat on
Thursday, but also took the first
few tentative steps towards
underscoring his status as the
tallest BJP leader in the country
today.
After it became clear that the
party had taken an unassailable
lead in the Assembly elections, the
results of which were declared on
Thursday, he confounded his
political pundits by undertaking a
visit to his arch-rival Keshubhai
Patel's residence in Ahmedabad.
The move was a political
masterstroke.
The Gujarat chief minister is not
known to forgive his political
rivals. Forgiveness is not a part of
his political persona. It goes
against the image of "tough,
strong and decisive leader" so
carefully cultivated by him over
the past 11 years. Modi offered
Patel sweets, and sought his
blessings for the future.
In the evening, Modi reached the
state BJP's headquarters, and
delivered a thanksgiving speech in
Hindi before a huge, enthusiastic
crowd. He not only thanked the 6
crore Gujaratis for his emphatic
victory, but also people across the
country "be it those residing in
Assam, or Kerala".
The message was clear. He was
addressing a national audience,
and was ready to move on
towards the centre of the
country's political universe. He
harped on the ideologically-
neutral themes of development
and good governance. That was
not all.
He also sought the people's
forgiveness for "errors and
mistakes that may have been
committed" during his 11-year
stint in power in the state. It was
a subtle message aimed at
silencing those critics who cite his
dogged refusal to apologise for
the 2002 post-Godhra communal
riots as proof of his intransigence
and unforgiving nature. Modi did
not name the Muslims directly,
but it was a subtle hint to the
community, and their "secular"
backers in civil society and the
Congress that it was time to move
on.
Having conquered Gujarat for the
third time, Modi is likely to shift
his gaze towards national politics.
He has already established himself
as the most powerful BJP leader.
He may not be named as the BJP's
prime ministerial candidate before
the next round of Lok Sabha polls,
but there are chances that he may
be named as the chairman of the
party's campaign committee.
Such a move would also be
acceptable to BJP's allies such as
the Janata Dal (United), which
views him as a divisive figure.
Among those who congratulated
Modi after his victory on Thursday
were Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J.
Jayalalithaa, and old friend, but
also, more significantly, Odisha
Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik. The
BJD leader, it may be mentioned,
had quit the NDA after the
Kandhamal riots of 2008.
