If there was a general election tommorow, who would you vote for?

[Sachin=GOD]

When a non entity like Lalji Tandon who was Vajpayee's eletion manager can win, Modi surely can. BTW some rumors also being floated that Congress could do a repeat of 1984 (what they did to Hemwati Nandan Bahuguna in 1984 by fielding Amitabh Bachchan against him) with Shahrukh Khan being tipped to take on Modi. All rumors though.

actually he's not a non entity in UP - he's one of the senior most UP BJP leaders and has been active in Lko politics for over 50 years. As for rumors of SRK.......these are just rumors that happen everytime a general election is due.

[The Outsider]

When a non entity like Lalji Tandon who was Vajpayee's eletion manager can win, Modi surely can. BTW some rumors also being floated that Congress could do a repeat of 1984 (what they did to Hemwati Nandan Bahuguna in 1984 by fielding Amitabh Bachchan against him) with Shahrukh Khan being tipped to take on Modi. All rumors though.

Lalji Tandon has a base in Lucknow. The guy is a scumbag but he is not communal. Even a stray dog will win against Modi in Lucknow. Forget about the Muslim population, three fourths of the Hindus will never vote for Modi. Just look at Modi's performance in the last elections - BJP won 35 out of 180 seats where he campaigned.

[seedhi]

40-7 in favor of BJP ? Just goes to show how unrepresentative this poll is .. We are going to have a bachelor as PM in 2014, and its probably not going to be Modi.

[Sachin=GOD]

It is one vs the many Rajdeep Sardesai, Hindustan Times March 07, 2013

It is not without reason that the BJP in recent times has been referred to as the ‘Hindu Divided Family’. Impressed by the speech given by Sushma Swaraj at the BJP National Council, I tweeted: “Outstanding speech by Sushma Swaraj: is she another PM in the making?”. Within minutes, I was subject to vicious abuse on Twitter, including from a person whose profile described him as the co-convenor of the BJP IT cell from Ahmedabad’s Ellisbridge area and a Narendra Modi supporter. Profanity on social media is not unusual, but it struck me that praise for a ‘rival’ BJP leader was being seen by a member of the Modi fan club as a downsizing of their icon. Modi today is undoubtedly the prime ministerial choice of the BJP’s rank and file. The response to his speech at the party’s national council was euphoric: every dialogue was accompanied by loud cheering. The other leaders on the stage seemed almost dwarfed, like a supporting cast in a solo hero film. Even the media appears to have bought into the ‘Modi for PM’ slogan: the Gujarat chief minister’s was perhaps the only speech at the council that was covered ‘live’ by every national news channel. Which brings me to the central question: if Modi has been anointed the de facto PM candidate of the BJP cadres, why is the leadership reluctant to formally announce his name? At the party council, amidst the Modi craze, LK Advani as elder statesman offered a reality check. In his speech, he called on the need to change the “equation between the BJP and the minorities,” adding, rather sagely, that the BJP needed to reach out to other parties to widen the NDA into “NDA plus” to provide a “viable, non-Congress alternative.” He almost sounded like the NDA’s original ‘unifier’ Atal Behari Vajpayee. Ironically, it was Advani who had first showcased the BJP’s coalition credentials by projecting Vajpayee as the party’s prime ministerial candidate at the 1995 BJP convention in Mumbai. Advani was the Modi of that period: the ideological mascot and macho Hindutva hero who had lifted the party from near-oblivion to the political centrestage with his pivotal role in the Ram Janmabhoomi movement. By contrast, Vajpayee was seen as a leader from a previous era when the BJP had lived in the shadow of Congress dominance. Vajpayee’s oratory, much like that of a Sushma Swaraj, was always envied, but he wasn’t seen as the natural leader of political Hindutva. It required Advani’s pragmatism to recognise that the BJP needed a consensus builder and not an ideologue to enable the BJP to become a party of power in a coalition era. Eighteen years later, the Sangh parivar is confronted with a near-identical dilemma. Does it follow the ideological instincts of its followers and position Modi as ‘the leader India awaits’; or does it seek refuge under the NDA umbrella and look for a Vajpayee clone who will be able to embrace the largest number of potential allies? The BJP could well claim that general elections are still a year away and these choices can be deferred to another day. However, the vaulting enthusiasm of its cadres and the growing restiveness of some of its key allies, both actual and potential, pose a challenge which can’t be postponed much longer. Despite his attempted image makeover, Modi remains a polarising figure as the recent Wharton controversy confirms. It is now increasingly apparent that Nitish Kumar of the Janata Dal (United), the BJP’s single-biggest ally in Parliament with 20 seats, is unwilling to accept Modi’s leadership. It’s not just Nitish: would potential NDA allies like the Biju Janata Dal, Trinamool Congress, Telugu Desam — all of whom were once part of Vajpayee’s grand coalition — be willing to go into an election with Modi as their PM candidate? Would a Mayawati be willing to provide such an arrangement ‘outside support’? At the moment, the only fresh ally the NDA can count on under a Modi-led regime is Jayalalithaa. At the same time, Modi’s charisma and personality could become a force multiplier that could enlarge the BJP’s traditional vote base. The urban middle class in particular, which appeared to desert the party in the 2009 elections, is seen to have endorsed Modi’s decisive leadership style and good governance mantra as providing a marked contrast with an effete Congress-led coalition that has been riddled with corruption and complacency. For a BJP whose highest tally has been 186 seats in the post-Kargil elections of 1999, Modi’s presence is seen to provide an additional 25 to 30 seats that could prove crucial in a fragmented verdict. But there is also the real fear — as shown up in the 2004 elections — that a strong Muslim turnout at the elections in response to Modi’s elevation could prove decisive in around a 75 to 100 seats across India. Which way then does the BJP turn in an election where the UPA is clearly on the defensive? Does it gamble with Modi with the sole aim of becoming the single largest party in a divided Parliament? Or does it aim to create an NDA-plus government by relying on smaller regional parties who have a chameleon-like ability to transfer loyalties? The RSS would perhaps still like to play safe and prefer the notion of a ‘collective’ leadership ahead of elections, but if past experience is any guide, multi-starrers don’t work at the electoral box office. Post-script: The ultimate irony: if in 1995, Advani’s had to sacrifice his prime ministerial ambitions because he was ill-suited as a coalition leader, could his stature now as the grand old man of the NDA make him a more ‘acceptable’ post verdict compromise candidate? It’s a long shot and the RSS may not concur, but in Indian politics, life can begin at 85! Rajdeep Sardesai is editor-in-chief, IBN 18 network

http://www.hindustantimes.com/editorial-views-on/RajdeepSardesai/It-is-one-vs-the-many/Article1-1022867.aspx

[1983-2011]

[saneindian]

Unnes Sau Tirasi ji, Rahul baba talked about "Hindu terror being India's biggest danger"..in your dictionary Hindu terror = Hindu nationalism? BTW you may have discovered Jaitley's remarks now but media published it a couple of years ago!

[Yoda-esque]

Who will Indians vote for? Of course NRIs will all vote for BJP without a doubt. Just like its the Pakistani NR's who are more radical than the resident Pakistanis. I am sure it will be a more even congress/BJP split if we look at only resident Indians

Lahori Logic..This dude must be spending a lot of time in padosi forums

[Khalpat]

Lalji Tandon has a base in Lucknow. The guy is a scumbag but he is not communal. QUOTE] ha ha ha. This is one thing I never will be able to understand, a person who supports Modi, who is part of the same party is not communnal but Modi himself is. Nitish is not, Lalji is not, Sushma is not, even Advani is not, Vajpayee is not but Modi is. Outty, if Modi was so communal why there has been no incident of any violence in last 11 years, why no incident of any discrimination against any minorities in last 11 years. Have you ever met Lalji Tandon. Just try to meet him and see what is his opinion on secularism you will be amazed, do not just read TOI and form your opinion.

[The Outsider]

ha ha ha. This is one thing I never will be able to understand, a person who supports Modi, who is part of the same party is not communnal but Modi himself is. Nitish is not, Lalji is not, Sushma is not, even Advani is not, Vajpayee is not but Modi is. Outty, if Modi was so communal why there has been no incident of any violence in last 11 years, why no incident of any discrimination against any minorities in last 11 years. Have you ever met Lalji Tandon. Just try to meet him and see what is his opinion on secularism you will be amazed, do not just read TOI and form your opinion.

I might be wrong about Lalji Tandon, was just expressing my opinion of the impression I have. Advani is communal. The scumbag was at the forefront of what happened in and around '92. Nitish Kumar, Sushma Swaraj, and Vajpayee themselves don't associate with Modi to the best extent they can. Does that tell you something? Nitish ne to haath jod liye the ki Modi saahab aap Bihar se apni gandagi door rakho. And why is there any need for something to happen for the last 11 years? What happened in 2002 is not enough? Kya roz roz maarna kaatna padega Musalmaanon ko to prove Modi is communal?

[Khalpat]

I might be wrong about Lalji Tandon, was just expressing my opinion of the impression I have.

This is the problem sir. Forming an opinion due to some media reports. Now here is the sequence of events: Narendra Modi becomes CM of a state first time. Within three months of his taking over, just three months sir there is a communal violence in his state. He took some steps or was late in taking some steps which lead to killing of a particular community people. He was rediculed, criticized by whole world. After this event, he is the CM of that state from last 11 years. Neither any such event happened nor he has given any inflammatory speech. his development effort whatever small or large as per your perception has benefited everyone.

Advani is communal. The scumbag was at the forefront of what happened in and around '92. Nitish Kumar, Sushma Swaraj, and Vajpayee themselves don't associate with Modi to the best extent they can. Does that tell you something? Nitish ne to haath jod liye the ki Modi saahab aap Bihar se apni gandagi door rakho.

Now for the holier than cow, Vajpayee and Nitish tell me why they did not objected to Modi when they were in power. Did Nitish resigned? No, infact till the year 2006, Nitish and Modi were good friends. Sir, 2006 four years after that communal incident. Suddenly Nitish realized that he might missed on some of the muslim votes therefore he made this move of being looked as anti modi. Now tell me isn't this man more dangerous than Modi himself who could have easily said a sorry and made secular people happy.

[The Outsider]

This is the problem sir. Forming an opinion due to some media reports. Now here is the sequence of events: Narendra Modi becomes CM of a state first time. Within three months of his taking over, just three months sir there is a communal violence in his state. He took some steps or was late in taking some steps which lead to killing of a particular community people. He was rediculed, criticized by whole world. After this event, he is the CM of that state from last 11 years. Neither any such event happened nor he has given any inflammatory speech. his development effort whatever small or large as per your perception has benefited everyone.

Why would he give any inflammatory speach now? When he needed to establish his hold on the state he let the riots prosper.

Now for the holier than cow, Vajpayee and Nitish tell me why they did not objected to Modi when they were in power. Did Nitish resigned? No, infact till the year 2006, Nitish and Modi were good friends. Sir, 2006 four years after that communal incident. Suddenly Nitish realized that he might missed on some of the muslim votes therefore he made this move of being looked as anti modi. Now tell me isn't this man more dangerous than Modi himself who could have easily said a sorry and made secular people happy.

There were a lot of credible reports that Vajpayee wanted Modi sacked and was overruled by Advani and RSS. And why would Nitish Kumar resign? Modi was a CM in Gujarat. Vajpayee was the PM and Nitish was dealing with Vajpayee at the center not with the CM of a state. Not only Muslim votes, Modi hardly has any support even among Hindus outside Gujarat except the NRI/internet crowd. Do you know that BJP won a grand total of 35 out of the 180 seats Modi campaigned in during the last elections? :hysterical: Not only Nitish, the BJP has already lost Naveen Patnaik because of their failure to reign in Bajrang Dal. Nitish and Naveen Patnaik have also done a great job as CMs. Modi bhakts make it sound like Modi is the only CM who has done well in India with regards to development. That is far from the truth.

[Khalpat]

Why would he give any inflammatory speach now? When he needed to establish his hold on the state he let the riots prosper. There were a lot of credible reports that Vajpayee wanted Modi sacked and was overruled by Advani and RSS. And why would Nitish Kumar resign? Modi was a CM in Gujarat. Vajpayee was the PM and Nitish was dealing with Vajpayee at the center not with the CM of a state. Not only Muslim votes, Modi hardly has any support even among Hindus outside Gujarat except the NRI/internet crowd. Do you know that BJP won a grand total of 35 out of the 180 seats Modi campaigned in during the last elections? :hysterical: Not only Nitish, the BJP has already lost Naveen Patnaik because of their failure to reign in Bajrang Dal. Nitish and Naveen Patnaik have also done a great job as CMs. Modi bhakts make it sound like Modi is the only CM who has done well in India with regards to development. That is far from the truth.

You are absolutely true when you say that Modi is not the only CM who has done development in his state. Shivraj Singh Chauhan, Nitish, Naveen Patnaik, Raman Singh all have done good work and its good for our democracy also. All of them are from Non Congress just a coincident. Anyways Vajpayee wanted to take action against Modi but he was not able to because of Advani, do you have any proof for this because if this is the case then Vajpayee was no better than Manmohan. And this is the tragedy of our nation that the leader of country are so week that they cannot even take a decision and people like you make them wah wah kya leader hai chahta tha but bechara kar nahi paaya. I would prefer a bold, strong leader of the country over these becharas anyday.

[The Outsider]

Anyways Vajpayee wanted to take action against Modi but he was not able to because of Advani, do you have any proof for this because if this is the case then Vajpayee was no better than Manmohan. And this is the tragedy of our nation that the leader of country are so week that they cannot even take a decision and people like you make them wah wah kya leader hai chahta tha but bechara kar nahi paaya. I would prefer a bold, strong leader of the country over these becharas anyday.

http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-09-17/delhi/30169106_1_vajpayee-narendra-modi-letter http://www.indianexpress.com/comments/Jaswant-unplugged-Advani-stopped-Vajpayee-from-acting-against-Modi-after-the-riots-/505510/4 http://www.hindustantimes.com/India-news/NewDelhi/Vajpayee-wanted-to-sack-Modi-post-riots/Article1-875902.aspx I can't find a link for it right now but after the 2004 elections Vajpayee also said that the Gujarat riots were also a factor in the loss. What could have Vajpayee done on his own when he had little support in the party for the action? He was the PM but that does not give him absolute powers, does it?

[Sachin=GOD]

In politics today it doesn't really matter if Modi is guilty or not, what matters is the image that he is guilty - and that is the image he currently has and he has done nothing to change that image. Another factor that will come in his way is his autocratic manner of running the Govt - he is the only person who matters in the Gujarat Administration but if he is looking for a National role then he has to realize that there are potential allies like Mamta, Naveen Patnaik, Mayawati etc who are not accustomed to being ordered around and being part of a Govt where only one man matters and the rest are mere subordinates.

[saneindian]

I might be wrong about Lalji Tandon, was just expressing my opinion of the impression I have. Advani is communal. The scumbag was at the forefront of what happened in and around '92. Nitish Kumar, Sushma Swaraj, and Vajpayee themselves don't associate with Modi to the best extent they can. Does that tell you something? Nitish ne to haath jod liye the ki Modi saahab aap Bihar se apni gandagi door rakho. And why is there any need for something to happen for the last 11 years? What happened in 2002 is not enough? Kya roz roz maarna kaatna padega Musalmaanon ko to prove Modi is communal?

Only after he became confident he had a solid base in Bihar and when Lalu was sidelined. Modi campaigned in Bihar along with Nitish in 2004 LS elections, and the two 2005 assembly elections. Till the time Nitish was weak in Bihar, he needed Modi, he welcomed him, but when he realized Modi may lead to some erosion in his muslim votes, he kept Modi at bay.

[saneindian]

In politics today it doesn't really matter if Modi is guilty or not, what matters is the image that he is guilty - and that is the image he currently has and he has done nothing to change that image. Another factor that will come in his way is his autocratic manner of running the Govt - he is the only person who matters in the Gujarat Administration but if he is looking for a National role then he has to realize that there are potential allies like Mamta, Naveen Patnaik, Mayawati etc who are not accustomed to being ordered around and being part of a Govt where only one man matters and the rest are mere subordinates.

Thats true for every strong CM today, Nitish is as autocratic as Modi, do we even know who works in Odisha cabinet other than Naveen Patnaik or for that matter anyone from the MP, Chattisgarh, TN or WB state cabinets

[Sachin=GOD]

Thats true for every strong CM today' date= Nitish is as autocratic as Modi, do we even know who works in Odisha cabinet other than Naveen Patnaik or for that matter anyone from the MP, Chattisgarh, TN or WB state cabinets

Oh come on!!!! No other Indian CM is a one-man Govt like Modi. Also he doesn't seem to work well with people he dislikes (for ex - Sanjay Joshi) so how do you think he will work with mercurial regional satraps like Mamta, Mayawati, Naveen Patnaik etc.

[saneindian]

Oh come on!!!! No other Indian CM is a one-man Govt like Modi. Also he doesn't seem to work well with people he dislikes (for ex - Sanjay Joshi) so how do you think he will work with mercurial regional satraps like Mamta' date= Mayawati, Naveen Patnaik etc.

Not true at all. As I said every successful and strong CM in India works in a small coterie mostly consisting of bureaucrats and just one or two ministers in the govt. Modi is no different. As for the example of Sanjay Joshi, I can cite similar examples for Nitish Kumar - a few names Ramvilas Paswan (was with Nitish initially) Raghunath Jha, Upendra Kushwaha, and countless number of tall caste leaders who have left his regional party citing his autocratic style. Naveen Patnaik recently threw out his long term confidant Pyarimohan Mohapatra who was his political guru all these years. Remember even Vajpayee could not get along with Govindacharya and Kalyan Singh and got them booted out of BJP/RSS. Not trying to prove Modi is not autocratic. Just that in this era to be a successful administrator, you can't be a consensus maker but will have to crack the whip. Also, recently he's trying to mend his ways probably out of realization, an example being his good relations with Rajnath Singh. The two could never get along during the last term of RNS' BJP presidency

[Sachin=GOD]

Not true at all. As I said every successful and strong CM in India works in a small coterie mostly consisting of bureaucrats and just one or two ministers in the govt. Modi is no different. As for the example of Sanjay Joshi, I can cite similar examples for Nitish Kumar - a few names Ramvilas Paswan (was with Nitish initially) Raghunath Jha, Upendra Kushwaha, and countless number of tall caste leaders who have left his regional party citing his autocratic style. Naveen Patnaik recently threw out his long term confidant Pyarimohan Mohapatra who was his political guru all these years. Remember even Vajpayee could not get along with Govindacharya and Kalyan Singh and got them booted out of BJP/RSS. Not trying to prove Modi is not autocratic. Just that in this era to be a successful administrator, you can't be a consensus maker but will have to crack the whip. Also, recently he's trying to mend his ways probably out of realization, an example being his good relations with Rajnath Singh. The two could never get along during the last term of RNS' BJP presidency

Nitish Kumar has been successfully running a coalition Govt and has been working well with Sushil Modi for the last 7-8 years now. Naveen Patnaik has been CM of Odisha for over 10 years and last year when he went for his first foreign trip as CM, Mohapatra took the opportunity to mobilize support for himself and called a secret meeting of the party MLA's/MPs so its no surprise that he was thrown out. Kalyan Singh himself left the BJP because of his problems with the state leadership. Vajpayee was the one who brought him back - in fact IIRC it was on Vajpayee's birthday when Kalyan Singh rejoined the party in Lko. BJP ain't winning 272 on its own so no matter who the PM is, the Govt will have to be run by consensus. Its the other way round - its Rajnath Singh who is mending his ways since becoming Party Prez this time because he seems to think that he may have a chance of being PM in case of a NDA Govt so now he's trying to mend his relationships with every leader he has had differences with (and there are many, many, many of them).

[asterix]

Nitish Kumar has been successfully running a coalition Govt and has been working well with Sushil Modi for the last 7-8 years now.

Actually it's the other way round in Bihar. BJP (especially Sushil Modi) been running the coalition without any hiccups....Any other party would've quit the coalition with JD(u) by now..