As the final countdown begins for the results to be out of India’s General Election 2014, the world waits to see who will be the next ruler of the worlds largest democratic country. At the same time India will wait and see how the world reacts after 16th May 2014.
Though the various exit polls have already predicted BJP’s win and Narendra Modi as the next Prime Minister, it remains to see how his image will help India.
Modi has an image of a Hindu Nationalist. He comes from being a leader of a state, which has shown tremendous economic progress but at the same time has been tainted with the dark history of communal riots.
Narendra Modi, a 63-year-old politician, is cashing on the frustration of the people over the Congress government. He is banking on their sentiments and the people’s attitude that anyone but not congress this time. He has promised for a strong India. The BJP party’s manifesto says that it will help in India’s western growth but without imperiling the country’s culture. They promise of governance of the global standard.
He seems to be aggressive and strong and has his own opinion. In many ways he has emerged as a strongman. In his own state, he has proven to be a successful leader. He seems to be a good administrator, who will bring jobs and security.
Modi is an outsider, from Ahmedabad, has promised to deliver a better India. In his presidential-style campaign he has projected a picture that, he will come and rescue India, and pull it out of the economic problems. His tactics are more like the US presidential elections. Like Obama, he is more interested in national development.
Modi is being compared with the various world leaders, in the international circuit. If he becomes the PM, then he joins the group of strongmen leaders. He is being linked with Barack Obama style, while in few places he is being said to be like Chinese boss Xi Jinping. The Chinese who have dealt with him like him because the way he has projected infrastructure development, and the ways of attracting investment.
Some say he resembles Japan’s PM Shinzo Abe because both have the task of uplifting the status quo in their respective countries. Japan wants to take control of the nation’s security and economics.
But it’s Modi’s dark past of 2000 that will haunt him. His role during the riots is severely criticized. Though he has been cleared of all the charges against him, still there are people who are suspicious about him.
The NRIs are also divided in their opinion. Many feel that Modi can bring in the required stability and hope in the country. In the recent Pravasi Bharatiya Divassamelan, Narendra Modi wooed the NRIs. He gave them a hope of brighter India. Gujaratis have the most population abroad and they feel connected to Modi. Most of them have business overseas and now they can hope for a better economic scenario.
Modi knows that it is very important to keep the NRIs interested in India, because it is they who will help him in the international investments. Now with the NRIs’ voting rights coming into action, the NRI vote bank will also count.
But there are people who are very skeptical about him. There are many NRIs who feel that Modi won’t be able to make much of a difference. They feel that he is just selling a dream.
India wants to reclaim its growth rate, tackle corruption, and secure a better position in the world market.
The international investors have kept their eyes wide open on the Indian political scenario because India has a potential market, which needs to be tapped in and with the kind of government forming it will decide the future of the market.
