Who Is This Man?

Before you jump to the conclusion that I have morphed into a Modi-bhakt, let me repeat that I have no doubt Mr Modi has blood on his hands, that he masterminded, facilitated and relished the carnage of 2002. However, if we are honest, we also have to admit the existence of another Modi, the one who has presided over and calibrated the Gujarat economic "miracle". The statistics, especially those from independent sources, cannot be wished away as manufactured. Indisputably, he has delivered development to Gujarat. The only question is how much is fact and how much is fiction. Even if 50 per cent of the claims Modi makes are fact, it is a substantial achievement.

Outlook correspondents returning from Gujarat in the past weeks confirm that while Modi has got a fight on his hands—and as the poll date nears, the fight gets tougher—he will probably scrape through. Even if he wins by the skin of his teeth (a defeat would be a stunning upset), he can justifiably taunt and torment his many critics.

Interestingly, while Narendrabhai may have mesmerised Gujarat, outside the state, he is still a pariah. A BJP in Delhi led by Mr Modi will only have Bal Thackeray’s Shiv Sena as an ally. The irony is poignant: the more successful Modi is in Gujarat, the less acceptable he is to the rest of India.