#WhyPMModi: Top 10 Reasons

BJP prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi’s popularity is soaring day by day. It is manifested in the way people come out to support him and today was no different. Despite a Naxal shutdown across Jharkhand, his rally saw great turnout which was held in support if BJP candidate Sudarshan Bhagat from Lohardaga (ST) lok Sabha seat.

Modi’s popularity is not only because of the development that he had done in his state Gujarat or the fact that he is a Hindu nationalist leader. It is mostly because of the clarity in thoughts that he presents to the people.

While addressing a rally in Naxal-hit Gumla, Modi appealed to the Naxals to abjure violence. He said it was his dream to see a pen or a plough in the hands of the youths in their ranks and not guns.

“Mahatma Gandhiji gave us the message of non-violence. I appeal to the youths who are holding guns to shun violence. For welfare of the people, we should find solutions and work. Not spill blood but work for development. We are all for democracy,” he said.

“Despite the bandh and threat of guns, you (people) turned up in large numbers to this meeting. It shows you believe in democracy and are fearless of guns. I respect you,” he further added.

It was not only the turnout that came out in his support. His fans have time and again stormed twitter giving many reasons why he should be the PM of the country.

Here are top 10 reasons that we think make his stand out in the race of prime ministership:

1. Infrastructure and Growth: Gujarat has been recording substantial growth under Modi government. The state recorded 15.33 per cent growth rate for a state GDP of Rs. 513,172.84 crore (2013-14).

Gujarat government initiated several promising projects under Modi – from infrastructure to financial services sector. GIFT City, DMIC and Dholera SIR are to name some. Every city has world class bus depot. Gujarat state highways connect each and every city-town-village providing hassle free movement. The water supply grid in the state has made Gujarat water surplus state. Gujarat has the most friendly e-governance urban and rural centres. Major investors and industries prefer Gujarat than other states due to the infrastructure facilities and business-friendly environment there.

1. Agriculture: Under the Modi government, agriculture has done remarkably well in the state in last decade. Agriculture production, which was at Rs 9,000 crore in year 2001-02, has been gone up to Rs 1,12,000 crore in the last fiscal. Total production of milk in year 2001-02 from 58.76 lakh metric tonne has risen to 103.15 lakh tonne now.
2. Education: The number of universities has increased from 15 in year 2000 to 52 now, while government colleges have jumped from 20 to 71 now. Gujarat is probably the only state in India which has built specialized universities catering to interests of students who wants to pursue their career beyond the usual streams of Commerce, Science and Arts. Rajsha Shakti University, Forensic Science University, Children’s university are to name some. He recently inaugurated Yoga University in the state.

School dropout rate for students in I to V was 20.50 per cent in year 2001-02, which has fallen to 2.07 per cent in 2011. Anticipating the damage that the huge emphasis on input norms in the Right to Education (RTE) Act could do to elementary education, Gujarat has adopted the most innovative implementation rules. These rules limit the requirements for the recognition of as yet unrecognised schools to eight square feet of area per student plus 60 square feet for the teacher in each classroom.

1. Health: The infant mortality rate in Gujarat has come down to 38 in 2011 from 60 in 2001.
2. Poverty Alleviation: For Gujarat the non-disadvantaged have a poverty decline of 15 percentage points between 1999/00 and 2011/12. For SC-STs, the poverty decline is 28 percentage points (ppt) for the same period. So, the excess poverty decline for SC-ST is 13 ppt, and this is the third-largest excess decline in the country for SC-STs. In the case of Muslims, Gujarat was the second-best performing state where they had the largest relative decline in poverty.
3. Employment: Gujarat, as per the survey reports of Labor Bureau of India, 2012, happens to record the lowest unemployment rate of only 1% as compared to all the other states of the nation, where the national unemployment rate is estimated at 3.8% by the same report.
4. Women Empowerment: Over the last decade, the Gujarat Government has taken several determined efforts to create opportunities for women to make them financially independent which make them more confident. Mission Mangalam is one such initiative which has empowered thousands of women in Gujarat. Gujarat is also known to be the safest when it comes to women safety.
5. Good Governance: He was given a clean chit by the SIT and Supreme Court in the 2002 riots case. His opponents choose to attack him over the issue again and again. But no one talks about the fact that there have been no riots in Gujarat after that while the country saw strings of riots in other parts of the country. People call him divisive and communal but overlook the fact that he did not think twice before breaking a temple for development work and convenience of people. He gave the slogan Pehle Shauchalaya, Phir Devalaya indicating that he was all for development and progress and that religion had nothing to do with it.
6. Balanced Personality: Contrary to popular thought, Modi is a team player and not an authoritarian. He has a calm demeanor and a sense of right which was at display when his rally venue was marred y serial bomb blasts in Bihar. He doesn’t run away from responsibilities and his ministers gain from his vision.
7. Zero Corruption: Last, but not the least, Modi is incorruptible. Even his harshest critics (read Congress leaders) agree with it. Level of corruption in Gujarat is lowest in the country. Modi has taken a resolve to bring back black money and root out corruption from the country.

With all these qualities in hand, who will not want him as his PM?