It could be a coincidence that P V Narasimha Rao, Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Indira Gandhi, all Brahmins, inherited the political astuteness traditionally associated with the caste. Rao had the sharpness of the Telugus, Vajapayee the deep broad-minded pacific ethos of the Awadh and Indira the blue blooded uniqueness of Kashmiri pandits. Each of them though had one trait in common, the strength of conviction.
Narendra Modi, meanwhile, is from the stock of a quintessential Gujarati entrepreneur, that hates to see money and men idle. He has perfected the art of governance of Gujarat through his district collectors. His communications to them, both ways, has been tuned to perfection. His secretariat handles these with speed, sensitiveness and persuasion. Can he replicate this on a pan-Indian canvas across a gamut of chief ministers? Perhaps he well may, but the speed with which he is able to set up personal equations with each of the states will determine his success.
R Narayanan Ghaziabad
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