Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi held the top spot of the readers’ poll for “TIME's Person of the Year,” with 16.2% votes as polling closed for the category.
The Bharatiya Janata Party leader and son of a tea stall-owner, who swore-in as prime minister this May gave India its first parliamentary majority after 25 years of coalition governments.
The Ferguson protesters, who took to the streets to protest the fatal shooting of Michael Brown, an unarmed black teenager, tread behind with 9.2% votes.
The protesters were followed by Joshua Wong the 18-year-old student activist who became the face of Hong Kong’s democracy protests with 7% votes, Nobel Prize Winner and child activist Malala Yousafzai with 4.9% votes and Ebola doctors and nurses fighting against the deadly virus with 4.5% votes .
Although TIME magazine's editors will choose the 'Person of the Year', which is what goes as the cover of the annual issue of the magazine, the winner of the readers' poll will be announced on December 8.
The annual poll, running for the past nine decades, contests between 50 people believed to have “most influenced the news this year for better or worse.”
Other candidates up for the title are US President Barack Obama, Iran's Leader Ayatollah Khamenei, Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, ISIS chief Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, Chinese President Xi Jinping, US secretary of state John Kerry and former US secretary of state Hillary Clinton.
Among the business chiefs and artists, the candidates are Amazaon CEO Jeff Bezos, Chinese e-commerce site Alibaba founder Jack Ma, GM's first female CEO Mary Barra, Apple CEO Tim Cook and singers Beyonce, Taylor Swift, reality star Kim Kardashian and actress Jennifer Lawrence.
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The Indians have swarmed the internet like locusts in a biblical plague.
@Milind: So you accepted the fact above; Indian as the Master bringing "numbers" together, lol? One is population and another is craziness? Lol, "numbers" was actually the first knowledge brought-in from China, before the Flood-Gates swing opened for Silk & Astronomy, lol.
@Another Pakistani - "Nobody can beat Indians in polls. Its the head count after all. "
And nobody can beat Pakistanis in terrorism & hypocrisy... Its the caveman mindset after all.
@wiserneighbour You defend Modi on the grounds that no court has found him guilty, and then attack Hafeez Saeed in the same breath? Can you tell us, which court has found Hafeez Saeed guilty?
As for the Time poll, the result of the internet poll was predictable from the very start. Indians are well known to be able to get the numbers together for such polls. There's no reason why the editors of Time would pay heed to it. Other than winning a huge majority, Modi hasn't done anything major yet. As Arun Shourie said the other day, "we keep hearing the sound of the plates, but the food doesn't come".
Nobody can beat Indians in polls. Its the head count after all.
@Truth Detector: Many hoping this from last 15 years.
Lol...all the frustrations and jealousy of our Pakistani friends can be seen here in the comments. Poor dear... Don't worry friends, one day nawaz may also get a chance to lead "person of the year" at least in 'Pakistan Times'...:))
@Truth Detector: In the mean time, let me send some burnol.
@Pragmatist: Influential person does not mean good person. Remember that OBL and Hitler were also nominated as Times person of the year. Hitler even won I believe.
@ajeet: Modi is just a Hot Air balloon. Nothing to be jealous about, but enjoyIng the view!
The same magazine that bestowed Front Page to Bill Gates upon giving a big Aid to India. What you expect from 10,000 Indians working in TIMES!
I can clearly see the frustration of Pakistanis from their comment, wake-up guys India is not a mature republic and it has elected PM NaMo based on his incredible work he has done in his home state Gujarat and also all commissions setup by previous Congress government has given clear chit to PM NaMo and he is not a cheater like your leaders such as Nawz, Zardari and co...!! so instead of getting jealousy over India concentrate on your country to get it back on track from the current misery over terror attacks and other economic debacle...!!
@Waleed Khan (Faridabad,Haryana): and you still wonder why ppl in india don't give a damn about what your ilk have to say about him.rhetoric without content bound to be doomed ...
@wiserneighbour: What is this. Waleed is our Indian brother. He has his own opinion. Where did hafiz saeed came in between . Everyone has an opinion so let them express it, we are a democracy. Alvida paaji, satsriakal. Rab rakha.
I would expect pakistanis to go and vote for the Ferguson protesters. Don't get me wrong here. That vote is not really for the Ferguson protesters or because of Pakistanis understanding of discrimination based on skin color(remember the treatment of bengalis?)but against Mod and India..
@Waleed Khan (Faridabad,Haryana): You can always move to your country. Looks like only Muslims have all the problem and not satisfy even after partition.
So the people who had been fooled by Jinnah to build a failed state are now jealous of Modi?
@Truth Detector: Pessimistic will always remain as pessimistic...nothing can enlighten such people like you.PM Modi deserves this is all i can say.
I expected our Mullahs get the title on the ground of inciting people to kill innocent poor on blasphemy charges, but also eating biriyani after every murder.
To put this in terms Pakistanis can understand, it is like one man winning the Feudal, the General and the Mullah of the year combined.
AS the pol criteria says for better or for worse ?
WORSE, yes indeed !
@Waleed Khan (Faridabad,Haryana): No court has sentenced Modi. Who are you to pass a verdict?Such fanatics are a bane to Indian society.your man hafeez syed is roaming free in Pakistan after causing carnage in Mumbai. Start mourning for him.
Waleed khan: wishful thinking. Keep praying for....
Well what do you expect? The vast majority of Indians who have been fooled by him. At this time in 2019 they'll realize just how wrong they were about this murderous bigot.
Modi bubble will burst at some point... inevitable. Wait & see.