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Message: <blockquote data-quote="smtsampath" data-source="post: 16666835" data-attributes="member: 151348">Who is the winner?Technically it is the Bharatiya  Janata party that has won a landslide victory in the powerful lower  house of the Indian parliament, and will now almost certainly be able to  form a government by the deadline of 1 June. In reality, however, the  victor is the avowed Hindu nationalist <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/world/narendra-modi" target="_blank">Narendra Modi</a>,  who has gone from being an unknown party official to prime minister in  less than a decade and could now be set to radically transform the  country.How might Modi transform <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/world/india" target="_blank">India</a>?Firstly,  by getting the economy moving again, supporters say. The shine has  seriously come off "Shining India" in recent years as growth has slumped  from around 9% to less than 5%, threatening the employment prospects of  the 10 million or so young people who enter the job market each year.  Secondly, Modi may pare down, clean out and speed up a swollen,  inefficient and corrupt bureaucracy, relaunch stalled infrastructure  projects and bring in much-needed foreign investment.Why are some people concerned?Primarily  because of Modi's alleged role in violence in 2002 in Gujarat, the  state he has run since 2001. He is accused of allowing, or even  encouraging, mobs to take revenge on Muslims after 59 people were killed  in an attack on a train full of Hindu pilgrims. At least 1,000 people,  mostly Muslims, died in the riots. Modi has denied any wrongdoing and a  supreme court inquiry has found insufficient evidence to support the  charges against him, but an aide was sent to prison for handing out  swords to rioters. Modi's subsequent failure to reach out to India's 150  million Muslims and some of his and his associates' rhetoric during the  campaign have raised fears that sectarian prejudices may be ingrained.What about the charge that Modi has authoritarian, even dictatorial, tendencies?Modi  has a reputation for putting pressure on journalists and critics in  Gujarat, moving or firing difficult bureaucrats and not tolerating  contradiction or opposition. Some in the state talk of a "climate of  fear". But he's also described as an intense listener, who is pragmatic  and open to new ideas – if they can help him.Why has he won?There  are several reasons but primarily it is because Modi offered a package  that was immensely attractive to many people. He emphasised development  throughout the campaign, promising jobs and opportunities to those who  wanted a hand up rather than the traditional handout. His unapologetic  nationalism, and sometimes crude rhetoric, promises power, security and  respect for an anxious country which, despite its size, is  hyper-sensitive to any slight. His reputation for effective  administration promises order and efficiency – qualities rarely  associated with Indian governance. He is supposed to have got Gujarat  booming, which is something all those hit by price rises and power  shortages around the country admire. And then there's his own humble  background. Modi is an OBC.What is an OBC?This is a  member of an "other backward caste", as administratively defined. The  caste system is a social hierarchy, grouped by occupation, and now made  solid by successive decades, indeed centuries, of bureaucratic  categorisation. The OBCs are low down the ladder and get various  privileges as part of a vast affirmative action scheme. It is often said  that caste is only important at weddings and elections. But while it is  stronger in the northern part of the country, it still determines  status and thus opportunities throughout India. Those at the very bottom  traditionally vote Congress, but up to a third of the population of  1.25 billion may fall into the OBC category – including Modi – and many  of these voted BJP.Why has the Congress Party done so badly?Partly  because it is led by a distant and uncharismatic candidate – Rahul  Gandhi, the son, grandson and great-grandson of former prime ministers  and a living example of dynastic power. Also because his efforts were  hamstrung by chaotic organisation, a poor communications strategy and a  message that basically consisted of telling voters that the last 10  years had not been as bad as they seemed to think and that Modi must be  stopped. The party's popularity was seriously dented by corruption  scandals, inflation and a lack of jobs, and there was a profound failure  within the upper ranks of the party to understand the changes in Indian  society.Is Modi hand in glove with big business?He's  certainly the favourite of India's biggest tycoons. Critics accuse of  him granting huge concessions to win investment in Gujarat. Supporters  say he has created a pro-business, pro-growth environment, not least by  doing things like ensuring round-the-clock power supply.So how powerful will Modi be?A  lot depends on the size of the coalition he puts together and its  composition. Many argue that Modi's executive power will be limited by  the BJP's relative weakness in the upper house, the checks and balances  within the system, the power of the 28 states and other factors. But  then, Modi is known for achieving goals whatever the obstacles … such as  becoming prime minister, for example.Where will he go on his first foreign visit?No  one is very sure. Not the US, from where he is still theoretically  banned for his actions in 2002. A destination in east Asia is most  likely, perhaps even China.source : <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/may/16/indian-election-results-narendra-modi-q-and-a" target="_blank">http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/may/16/indian-election-results-narendra-modi-q-and-a</a></blockquote>

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