Tolga Akmen—AFP
Narendra Modi may well be the most powerful prime minister India has ever had, surpassing even Jawaharlal Nehru (1947-1964) and his daughter Indira Gandhi (1966-1977; 1980-1984)—and the reasons are not solely limited to his rallying the Hindutva movement. Since being elected to the Prime Minister’s Office, Modi has become closely associated in the eyes of the Indian public with national strength and solidity, showcasing a stable government that stands in contrast to wobbly coalition governments of the past. His first tenure as premier also saw him heralded as a modernizer, bolstering the country’s economic rise through clear implementation of policies through a “technocratic” style of governance.
In a large and chaotic democracy where rule-of-law is in short supply, Modi’s personal involvement in the minutest of public policies and almost all governance issues assures voters they have a “24/7” public servant-in-chief. “I was not born to enjoy life, but to work hard on your behalf,” he has said on the campaign trail, winning over many Indians who find complex and unclear ideologically neutral secular messages from the opposition. Another factor is the BJP-led government’s corruption-free delivery of social welfare schemes to the poor, further bolstering his support base.
Outside India, too, Modi has performed competently, boosting his image at home. Indian observers note his “personal chemistry with world leaders, showpiece foreign visits, stewardship of prominent global institutions such as the G20, rescue missions to save Indians stranded abroad” as bolstering his public standing in a manner not seen in the past. Similarly, his independent positioning on various international issues makes him popular with “patriotic” voters wanting India to “take a seat at the global high table beside China and the United States.” For many, his tirades about minorities, particularly Muslims, are a bitter pill to be swallowed for economic prosperity and competent governance. In this manner, Modi continues to rack up electoral victories, allowing him to continue boosting India’s economic might, which encourages the rest of the world to look the other way from his government’s rights abuses. Most observers believe Modi is poised to win a third term in office during the elections currently underway in India, meaning the world will have to live with the Hindutva strongman and the “new” India under him and his Hindu constituency for some time to come.