Narendra Modi – The Most Exciting Political Figure Among India’s Youth

Narendra Damodardas Modi is an Indian politician. Since 2014, And Modi is the current Prime Minister of India. From 2001 to 2014, Narendra Modi was the Chief Minister of Gujarat and is the Member of Parliament for Varanasi. Modi is a member of the BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) and the RSS (Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh), a Hindu nationalist volunteer organization. He is the first prime minister chosen outside of the Indian National Congress to win two following terms with a full majority. And the second to finish more than five years in office after Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

Narendra Damodardas Modi was raised to a Gujarati family in Vadnagar. Modi assisted his father sell tea as a child and has said he later ran his own stall. He was joined the RSS at the age of eight, beginning a long connection with the organization. Narendra Modi left home after completing high-school in part because of child marriage to Jashodaben Chimanlal Modi. Modi traveled around India for two years and visited many religious centers before returning to Gujarat. In the year 1971, Modi became a full-time worker for the RSS. The RSS elected him to the BJP in 1985. Modi took several positions in the party till 2001, extending to the rank of general secretary.

Narendra Modi was elected as Chief Minister of Gujarat in 2001. Modi was elected to the legislative assembly soon. His administration has been estimated complicit in the 2002 Gujarat protests, or otherwise examined for its handling of it. A Supreme Court-appointed Special Investigation Team got no evidence to begin prosecution proceedings against Modi personally. His policies as chief minister, credited with promoting economic growth, have got praise. His administration has been reprimanded for failing to significantly improve health, poverty, and education indices in the state.

Modi led the BJP in the 2014 general election that delivered the party a majority in the Indian lower house of parliament, the Lok Sabha, the first time for any single party since 1984. Modi’s administration has decided to raise foreign direct investment in the Indian economy and diminished spending on healthcare and social welfare programs. Modi has tried to improve performance in the administration. He has centralized power by eliminating the Planning Commission. He commenced a high-profile sanitation campaign, launched a controversial demonetization of high-denomination banknotes, and weakened or abolished environmental and labor laws.

Following his party’s victory in the 2019 general election, his administration denied the special status of Jammu and Kashmir. Modi’s administration also began the Citizenship Amendment Act, which resulted in public protests across the country.

Narendra Modi – Personal Details

Narendra Modi – Timeline

Narendra Modi – Life and Political Career Early

Narendra Modi was raised in a small town in northern Gujarat. And Modi finished an M.A. in political science from Gujarat University in Ahmedabad. Modi linked with the pro-Hindu Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) organization in the early 1970s. There he established a unit of the RSS’s students’ wing, the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad, in his area. Modi grew firmly in the RSS hierarchy. And his association with the organization significantly served his subsequent political career.

Narendra Modi associated with the BJP in 1987, and a year later he was assigned as the general secretary of the Gujarat branch of the party. He was instrumental in very strengthening the party’s presence in the state in succeeding years. In 1990, Modi was one of the BJP members who joined an alliance government in the state. And Modi served the BJP to gain success in 1995, state legislative assembly elections that in March gave the party to form the first-ever BJP-controlled government in India. Though at the end of September 1996, the BJP’s control of the state govt. was relatively short-lived.

Political Rise and Term as Chief Minister of Gujarat

In 1995, Narendra Modi has appointed as the secretary of the BJP’s national organization in New Delhi. And after three years he was appointed its general secretary. Modi continued in that office for another three years. However, in October 2001, Narendra Modi replaced the necessary Gujarat chief minister, fellow BJP member Keshubhai Patel. And later Patel had been held responsible for the state government’s poor response as a result of the massive Bhuj Earthquake in Gujarat earlier that year that killed more than 20,000 people. Modi began his first-ever electoral contest in a February 2002 by-election that won him a seat in the Gujarat state assembly.

Narendra Modi got political success again in Gujarat. Which made him a vital leader within the BJP and led to his reintegration into the political mainstream. Beneath his leadership, the BJP achieved a significant victory in the December 2002 legislative assembly elections, winning 127 of the 182 seats in the chamber (including a seat for Modi). Throwing a declaration for growth and development in Gujarat, the BJP was again victorious in the 2007 state assembly elections, with a seat total of 117, and the party controlled again in the 2012 polls, garnering 115 seats. He won his contests again and returned as chief minister.

Throughout his time as head of the Gujarat government, Modi built an impressive reputation as an effective administrator, and he was given credit for the rapid growth of the state’s economy.

Also, his party’s elective accomplishments helped Modi’s position as not only the most-influential leader within the party but also a potential competitor for the prime minister of India. In June 2013, Narendra Modi was chosen as the leader of the BJP for the 2014 elections to the Lok Sabha.

Premiership

Modi was declared as Prime Minister on May 26, 2014. Shortly, he took office, his government began several reforms, including campaigns to improve India’s transportation infrastructure and to liberalize rules on direct foreign investment in the country. Modi secured two significant diplomatic achievements early in his term. In mid-September, a visit of Xi Jinping President of China, the first time a Chinese leader had been to India in 8 years, hosted by Modi. At the end of that month, having been given a U.S. visa. Modi did a visit to New York City, which included a meeting with U.S. Pres. Barack Obama.

As prime minister, Modi managed the promotion of Hindu culture and the implementation of economic changes. The government offered proposals that would broadly appeal to Hindus, such as its attempt to ban the sale of cows for slaughter. The economic changes were sweeping, proposing structural changes—and temporary disruptions—that could be felt nationwide. With the most far-reaching was the demonetization and replacement of 500 and 1,000 rupee banknotes with only a few hours’ notifications. The idea was to stop “black money” cash used for illegal activities by making it difficult to exchange large sums of cash. The following year the govt. Centralized the consumption tax system by launching the Goods and Services Tax (GST), which superseded a confusing system of local consumption taxes and eliminated the problem of cascading tax. GDP growth decreased from these changes, though growth had already been high (8.2 percent in 2015), and the reforms succeeded in expanding the government’s tax base.

The BJP lost in all five states, including the BJP strongholds of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Chattisgarh. The competitive Indian National Congress (Congress Party) won more state assembly seats than the BJP in all five elections. Many observers believed that this predicted bad news for Modi and the BJP in the national elections set for the spring of 2019, but others believed that Modi’s charisma would excite the voters. Furthermore, a security crisis in Jammu and Kashmir in February 2019, which increased tensions with Pakistan to the highest point in decades, boosted Modi’s image just months before the election. With the BJP ruling the airwaves throughout the campaign – in contradiction to the lackluster campaign of Congress – The BJP was returned to power, and Modi became India’s first prime minister outside of the Congress Party to be again after a full term.

Breaking Some Myths

Traditionally labeled as a party of Hindu upper-caste the BJP now has recognition among the young voters of different castes. From the last election, a 14 percent rise has been seen among the lower OBCs in support of BJP by the youth for Modi. Although, a skew is still apparent as young voters amongst upper OBCs and Dalits have not backed the party in such large numbers. Thus, the BJP could not find approval between young voters from non-Hindu communities. So its address among the youth remains limited to Hindu youth in particular. Another myth that burst in this election was that the BJP is an urban party. As in this election, the vote share of BJP was higher among the young voters of town and rural areas.

For first-time voters, Prime Minister Narendra Modi was a pull factor. As for these voters, the Prime Ministerial candidate was an important factor more than the party or local candidates. While voting one-third of young BJP voters saw the prime ministerial candidate as the most important factor. This was approximately double the national norm. This can also be insisted by the fact that the same proportion (33%) of young BJP voters affirmed that they would have voted for some other party had Mr. Modi not been the prime ministerial candidate. Mr. Modi’s popularity among the youth in the States like Haryana, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, and Karnataka, was higher than the state average. Interestingly, in two southern states Telangana and Andhra Pradesh which have strong State-based parties, The Balakot airstrikes also gave a push to the BJP’s campaign. This can be learned by the fact that young voters who viewed joblessness as an issue voted for the BJP after hearing about the airstrikes. It can also be seen in the last 2019 election that the youth was clearly with Mr. Modi.

The Ideal Model

Not so long ago, the words that were used to describe Modi were strict, megalomaniac, and collective. But now the scenario has changed.

Preferably, because of Modi’s image as self-made, strong, efficient, inspiring, and incorruptible. According to Ramdhar Singh who is a Social Scientist at IIM-Bangalore says that “Modi created an impression of being a sincere, credible and committed leader. He assured people that he could improve their lot”. This is the leitmotif the marketing magazine of the BJP worked to expand.

The veteran adman Kakkar adds further that “No media can help create that kind of consistency”.

Automatically, as if by source, the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance started to look more and more doubtful and corrupt. “Today, India blames weakness and failure to Congress,” says Adam and lobbyist Suhel Seth. “Modi stands for good governance.”

All stories about the life of Modi have consistently fed into the new image in the public domain. Although questions linger about Modi’s capability to function at the national level and his Gujarat model of governance, his branding and marketing policy appears to have worked on voters across the country. Modi’s message has drawn even those aloof towards politics.

Work Front

• Born in one of India’s most disadvantaged social groups. Mr. Modi represents an aspirational working-class and identifies himself with the country’s poorest citizens in a way that no one can who has led India for most of 72 years since independence.
• By socially progressive policies, he has led many Indians, both Hindus, and religious minorities, out of poverty at a faster rate than in any earlier generation.
• Modi vowed to change the country’s sanitation in his campaigns and he has more than fulfilled; from fewer than 40% of households holding access to a toilet, now almost 95% have access to it. Now, most Indian villages have access to electricity when less than 40% did when he took office.
• India has now become the fifth-largest and fastest-growing economy in the world from the decisions taken by Modi. As by sustaining the changeable economy that he inherited from the Congress government in 2014.
• His embrace of technology has driven transformative programs in universal healthcare, affordable housing, financial embodiment, and climate alleviation. Intuitively he has understood how much-admired tech skills of Indians can be used to transform our society which no other predecessor has thought of.
• In November 2016 his drastic decision to wipe out high-value notes overnight (termed as Demonetization) has led to a long-term gain. Due to which the tax base in India has almost doubled but with a lower tax burden on individual citizens.
• Because of exceeding tax revenue more funding for welfare programs has brought sanitation and electricity to so many. Meanwhile, an unusual 200 million-plus new bank accounts opened due to the move away from cash. Bringing India’s so-called “unbankable” nearer to full assimilation within India’s formal economy.
• Eliminating corrupt representatives and allowing direct deposits of state benefits, social security, and pension payments into the hands of the poor. Through digitization has empowered the poors. He has also ensured the bringing the whole of India into one tax union, through the implementation of the Goods and Services Tax, and thereby making India, a truly single market.
• His reformations have helped in bringing inflation under control, from a record high of more than 12% at the tail end of the previous government, to below 3% in April 2019; and has reduced the deficit down to 3.42%, when a decade ago it was wavering 6.46%.

10 Amazing Facts about Narendra Modi

1. During the 1965 Indo-Pak War Narendra Modi as a teenager assisted and helped soldiers. By rushing with hot glasses of masala tea and thanking them when the train would arrive at the station.
2. In his teenage years, he became a solo traveler. By visiting several places on his own and including meeting ancient sadhus on the Himalayas.
3. Modi has accumulated millions of people around the world that look up to him.
4. The Prime Minister of Japan Shinzo Abe tweeted for the first time in English. Congratulating Modi and asking for better friendship than discretion.
5. Modi used to write poetry and enjoyed photography in his early 20’s. To showcase his photography skills he also held an exhibition.
6. During his school days, he also participated in several plays.
7. He was very brave in his school days as once he brought home a baby crocodile.
8. Narendra Modi is amongst the four people who are followed by the Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Twitter.
9. In the United States Narendra Modi also undertook a three months course. Where he studied image management and public relations.
10. He didn’t take any leave throughout his service as a Chief Minister of Gujarat. A similar Philosophy he propagates to all his subordinates till date.

Conclusion

No Prime minister has united the Indian Electorate as much to close of five decades like Modi. He may have been criticised for enduring silence during incidents of social unrest. But his work has been given the thumbs up at the ballot box by the Indian voters for directly speaking to the root causes of some of India’s divisions. For them, the Modi dream of a New India remains very much sound. Economically, he must carry on his commitment to building the world’s largest start-up eco-system, thereby further unleashing India’s fabled entrepreneurial gene.

All the actions of Narendra Modi’s government are still works-in-progress. But with efforts appreciated by practically every single global institute of any standing, including the World Bank, the IMF, and the U.N., Modi’s India is finally progressing at a rate worthy of its size and potential.