Is there any sense in speculating that the 2014 electoral contest for the country’s top post will be between Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi and the Gandhi scion Rahul Gandhi? Rahul has given no indication that he is even interested in the race. Meanwhile, several balloons have been floated in the media about how Finance Minister P. Chidambaram could be, or should be, the next Prime Minister. That he is bright, smart, decisive and can easily fall into that slot. Of course, in the unlikely event of the UPA returning to power.

In the midst of such debates, last week saw two events indicating who the real players will be in the next elections — Modi and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar; the difference, of course, being that Nitish can at best hope to be kingmaker, whereas Modi can aspire to be king.

Modi’s supporters within and outside the BJP say that Modi is the man “the media loves to hate”. Well, the opposite seems more true; he rarely gives interviews either to print or electronic media. But as the clamour for announcing him as the BJP’s prime ministerial candidate gathers momentum, Modi is deftly positioning himself for that role, and making subtle and not-so-subtle moves to enlarge his appeal.

We’ve seen enough and more of his aggression, his derisive references to Congress chief Sonia Gandhi and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who he recently described as ‘night watchman’. But at the recent India Today conclave where he was clearly the star attraction, it was a different face and facet of Modi that came to the fore. The audience — from the well-heeled, highly educated echelons of society — was fawning enough… after all, this section loves him.

Charm offensive

The subject was close to the speaker’s heart — the development of Gujarat. Much of what he had to say, we’ve read and heard before. So no surprises there.

But the surprise was in the charm offensive he launched; it was not the aggressive, I-care-a-damn-for-your-views side of Modi on display that evening. It was a man determined to charm and woo his audience. Not only the salt of the earth in that conclave but the aam janata , who he knows very well, latches on to every word he says — both his admirers and detractors! And there was even humility on display, and this is certainly not a quality/attribute that comes easily or naturally to the man often accused of arrogance.

Modi began his speech, believe it or not, in a self-effacing tone by saying that there was no “Gujarat mantra” for development… mei mantra aur tantra ki duniya se door rehta hu ! (I keep far away from the world of mantras and tantras.) He then went on to give concrete examples of how he runs his State, and there can only be admiration for what he spelt out. He has put an end to the “transfer business” of bureaucrats; an officer is given sufficient time to deliver or be accountable if he fails to do so.

Even in rural areas, the poorest can challenge the system by threatening to go “online” with his complaints which will be scrutinised at a much higher level. Though he firmly believes that the “government has no business to be in business”, during his tenure, he ensured that PSUs such as the GSFC were empowered to become profitable. Instead of making MNREGA sound like a dole, why not call it a “development” scheme and tell people we need your contribution for 100 days a year to develop the nation? All excellent stuff.

A lighter touch

Of course, there were the occasional digs at the UPA and the media, but done with a lighter touch. When a couple of journalists from the audience were invited to ask questions, Modi quipped with a smile: “Are you turning this into a press conference?” But he was less forgiving when it came to his much-criticised quote on girls in Gujarat being malnourished because they wanted to look slim.

This, he claimed, was totally twisted out of context… “ meri media mei bahut beizzati hui (I was humiliated in the media on this quote), he said and explained that all he had said was poverty is not the only cause for malnourishment. Sometimes, even in rich families there is nutritional deficiency for other reasons.

Expectedly there was a barrage of questions on when he would move to Delhi; why he wasn’t doing it quickly enough; who was preventing him from becoming prime minister, and the like! He deftly handled each of these with a straight face, with humour and an apt one liner… rather than becoming somebody, one should aspire to do something.

Of course there were questions on 2002 which visibly made him hot under the collar, but he skilfully handled that minefield too. The most interesting point was that he was being asked questions as though he was already India’s Prime Minister! Ex-army chief General V. P. Malik asked him why India was importing the bulk of its arms instead of manufacturing; and there were questions on FDI, and other national polices. To one on Pakistan, his surprising reply was India should have good relations with all its neighbours, while safeguarding its national interest.

All in all, Modi’s body language was one of a leader who has decided on an image-makeover. Whether his opponents, and more important, those on the sidelines, bite the bait or not is the crucial question.

The Nitish juggernaut

But the one man who threatens to stand between Modi and India’s dream job is Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. Within 24 hours, he addressed a mammoth rally in Delhi where the BJP, with which his JD (U) runs a coalition government in Bihar, was not invited.

Ostensibly he was demanding a special status for Bihar, but there was also a direct message for 2014: “My support will be crucial for formation of the next government at the Centre,” he said.

To Modi’s constant harping on Gujarat’s pride and asmita , Nitish had a jibe. Bihar was on the path of growth and progress and the rest of India no longer humiliated Biharis for seeking jobs outside. With a helping hand from the Centre — he welcomed Chidambaram’s Budget promising to re-examine the special status issue — Bihar could present the “real model of development that is equitable and sustainable”. Any doubts here on who he is challenging?

Just as he did last time, in the coming months, Nitish is likely to put his State first — just as Modi does Gujarat — and say openly that he will support the party/coalition which is prepared to give Bihar its due.

So while Rahul Gandhi continues to play hooky, displaying no serious intent of having a shy at the top post, interesting games are being played, even within the Congress, and nuances enunciated, on the political challenges of 2014.

rasheeda.bhagat@thehindu.co.in and blfeedback@thehindu.co.in

Related Topics