BJP's Narendra Modi flashes a victory sign as he arrives at New Delhi airport. PHOTO: AFP
Modi flew to Delhi's main airport from his home state of Gujarat shortly before 11:00am to bask in the glory of a landslide for his Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
A crowd, waiting since early morning but entertained by a marching band and thumping dance music, burst through police barricades at the sight of the 63-year-old leader's cavalcade.
"Modi is our lion! He will work for the people of India, he will work for development, he will work for every Indian," shouted Om Dutt, a 39-year-old shop owner.
The controversial leader, wearing a blue jacket and shirt, opened the door of his car while it drove along, as many strained for a glimpse, took videos on their mobile phones and showered the vehicle in petals.
The chief minister of western Gujarat, who has never held national office, is set to drive from the airport to his party's headquarters in central New Delhi with supporters gathering along the route.
The BJP won the first majority in parliament for 30 years on Friday after a campaign by Modi focused on delivering new jobs, development and clean government.
The triumph redrew India's political map, handing him a huge mandate for change and heaping humiliation on the ruling Gandhi political dynasty.
"He made Gujarat great, he will make India great," said BJP party worker and businessman Rahul Sethi, 45, as he waited for his hero at the airport.
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@Omer Its True, the day when he will leave Development ideology & start any Religious Propaganda(Not about cultural one), i will press "NOTA" button without hesitation. But the real truth is that He is development Icon.
@Ajeet keep your UP politics with you. People like you are reason for Bihar UP being backward areas of india all you guys think of are caste and religion. Grow up and learn from rest states where business,economy,education,environment,corruption takes centre stage.
@Omer yes he has come because we wanted congress to go. It's ruled most of independent india just based on "secularism" but given only corruption,flawed populist policies, burdened middle class with taxes and increase our deficit by giving freebies to poor. Modi is known for being best administrator in the country. If bjp has rarely come to power in centre it is because of this very reason that people don't want religion of any community to take centre stage and or create disharmony in country.Only Vajpayee was exception because he was known to be liberal or secular people trusted him with handing india to him. Who ever comes to centre govt (leftist,rightist) has to finally become a centralist or the party can't enjoy support across the country. If modi doesn't become centrist he won't be able to rule more than five years and will be voted out.
@Omer: I can assure you that what Tani says is what most people i know believe. If they wanted destruction of other mosques then they oted for the wrong party since there is no mention in the BJP manifesto of such things. Modi's campaign speeches are available on youtube. You can listen and figure out what he was promising. In fact he has explicitly said that the nly holy ook for someone in the overnment. Is the constitution.
@Amruta Mehta: There was a child marriage which was never consummated. Jashodaben has conducted herself with the utmost dignity. Using this very private person as a way to take potshots at Modi is in poor taste.
@Omar,
plz do look up his election rally videos, he says a state can't & shouldn't have religion, esp if its diverse. Pakistani talk shows sound obnoxious viz a viz Modi
He's got the votes based on a development plank. India is too big, too diverse for ANYONE to govern on communal lines. If he does that, the same people That voted him in will vote him out. Readers in Pakistan can either listen to orya makbul Jan and Zafar hillaly, (who have a set anti india mindset) or believe people who are from India. Most people are decent and to be honest Pakistan is not even on our radar. We want to make money, help our poor and get to where we want to get to as a country.
@ Tani and Siddesh
I really hope that what both of you wrote is true that a vast majority of people in India voted for Modi because of his pro-business agenda and not because of religious reasons.
Modi's victory is bad news for India (and Pakistan).
@BlackJack - you don't have to be apologetic for the use of "Hindu nationalist party" - India is a nation of 85% Hindus. Yes, the law of the land respects all religions & protects them - but nevertheless this is the only country where Hinduism exists as a majority and that is a reality. The Muslims in India should come to terms with it as their forefathers were given an option to move to a country who's raison d'etre was on religious lines and they choose to stay behind and accept Indian citizenship. Mature Indians irrespective of caste and religion have chosen Modi as their leader for the new age and Yes, he a Hindu and proud of it.
@ Ajeet why don't you shift to nepal dude? Are you from UP? Maybe your state voted him based on religion not us or rest 29 states. We want pro-business policies not right wingism. Who cares if other community people or party won seats in those constituency? What's important is that they work for betterment of those areas and people. if modi even little shifts from development agenda to religion. Rest assured bjp will never come to power in centre again. Youth has given him mandate for economy not religion.
@ajeet nonsense its people like due to which people fear voting for alternatives. Stop polarising the issue. No avenge or insult from indian Muslims for some arab who invaded demolished temple . We have voted for development if ten percent nut jobs like you mistake it otherwise it won't take time for us 80percent seculars "to throw him out" too remember that
VICTORY OF MODI
Thousands of years of insult will have to be avenged. Ayodhya is free, but Kashi and Mathura needs to be freed from invaders.
I really don't know why you have to say Hindu nationalist in every single article. BJP is nationalist, but Modi has stated umpteen times that the constitution is the only holy book for Govt. and that he will rule according to its dictates. This business of using Hindu as a bad word needs to stop.
His wife is the first lady of India.
Modi is a great man, he also got vote from muslim community in gujarat.