Not many in the media believe that Narendra Modi could be stopped from his 3rd^h successive victory at the hustling. Much has been written about his impeccable record as an administrator and hailed as vikas purush. Like Ramarao of yesteryears, Modi has successfully marketed himself as a votary of Gujarati Asmita( self respect) and has personalized the campaign as Modi vs others. His party derives strength from his leadership and not the other way around. Such as been the high decibel campaign in self promotion, that this time around, RSS Pracharaks and Sevaks have rallied behind Keshubai Patel to spoil Modi’s party. Media is not writing the epitaph as yet much they would like because they fear that will create a backlash with a massive landslide for Modi.

Nara Chandrababu Naidu had woven such a magic before. He was unquestioned monarch of AP politics with aims at New Delhi. I even believed he could become PM one day if fractured mandate continues. When he was seeking a third time, Swaminathan Ankelesaria Iyer swore he will return . He reasoned that his pioneering work in empowerment of poor Telugu women through espousal of Self Help Groups would ensure his victory and he also prophesied that  Rajasekara Reddy – his challenger was  a mass murderer and belongs to a family of goons. The voter had other ideas. Naidu was thrown out bag and baggage never able to stage a comeback. There is also an undercurrent of simmering discontent in Rural Gujarat over the development model Modi has practiced which has been largely urban centric. Much against the propaganda that Muslims in Gujarat prefer Modi to others, Muslims are upset over the delays in bringing justice to victims of carnage in 2002 and attempts to exonerate Modi.

Modi became a poster boy of Hindutva Brigade for his complicity in retaliatory strikes on minorities following Godhra carnage. RSS liked him for here was a man who took up the challenge of putting minorities in their place. He managed to instill a sense of fear among all Muslims in Gujarat and polarized the two communities as did Shivsena in Maharashtra. The irony was that Justice Sri Krishna commission of enquiry was to blame thackery and Shivsena for the mass murders in Mumbai, the huge middle class followers of Modi rejoiced over a        questionable acquittal of Modi by SIT headed by Raghavan. Ragahvan cited two speeches of the CM to impress that he acted upon the complaints of murderous attacks while both of them were in the context of Godhra massacre and issued as a stern warning to the minority community. He was dismissive of the deposition of Sanjiv Bhat who claimed in a affidavit that the CM instructed the police to be mute spectators as Hindu mobs incited by communal elements went on a rampage killing innocent Muslims by the dozen.

Modi is unrepentant even today for his complicity in mass murders and he needs to be taught a fitting lesson. Gujarat is the land of Mahatma and they should take a lesson or two from his life to defeat this man who divided society for his personal benefits. This is your chance to set an example to those who preach and practice divisive politics. Will the Gujarati voter set an example now?