Sunil Deodhar

The rise of Narendra Modi is a watershed moment in Indian politics. In fact, such is the magnitude of his influence on the country that India's governance paradigm and political history can be easily divided into two distinct eras―pre-Modi and post-Modi. Modi became the chief minister of the Indian state of Gujarat in 2001. He was undefeated in all subsequent elections and became the state's longest serving chief minister. While Modi strode Gujarat like a colossus, propelling multi-dimensional progress, bigger responsibilities beckoned. Modi's exemplary success in Gujarat, paved the way for him to be popularly elected India's prime minister in an overwhelming victory in 2014. He is a prime minister unlike anyone earlier, both in terms of appeal and body of work. As a result, in 2019, he was re-elected with an even bigger mandate. His appeal is the result of his work in many domains over a long social, political and administrative career. Modi's impact is not restricted to India alone, and numerous national and international polls regularly declare that he is the most popular international leader. In 2021, Modi completed 20 continuous years as the head of a government. This book, a compilation of chapters authored by eminent intellectuals and domain experts, attempts a definitive and expansive exploration into the fundamental transformation of Gujarat and India over the last 20 years due to Modi's unique model of governance. Full list of authors: P.V. Sindhu, Shobana Kamineni, Surjit S. Bhalla, Amish Tripathi, Amit Shah, Pradeep Gupta, Anantha Nageswaran, Arvind Panagariya, Dr Shamika Ravi, Uday S. Kotak, Ajay Mathur, Anupam Kher, Ashok Gulati, Dr Devi Shetty, Nandan Nilekani, Nripendra Misra, Sadhguru, Sudha Murty, Ajit Doval, K.C., Manoj Ladwa, Bharat Barai, Dr S. Jaishankar

The 2019 general elections were set against the backdrop of unexpected alliances, with the staunchest of adversaries joining hands against one person, one party and one ideology. For the first time in the political history of India, there was the rise of a united opposition, which rendered the elections into an anti-Modi vs pro-Modi battle at the macro level. While demonetization and GST had not yet been wiped from public memory, the Pulwama attack and the Balakot air strikes just before the elections ignited a sense of nationalism. With this, even the most experienced political pundits were unable to predict the electoral outcome with certainty. It was a battle that could go either way. While we now know who won the electoral battle, the larger question is what caused this swing at a time when many had predicted the fall of Modi and the BJP. With dispatches from ground zero that unveil how the people at the ground level across the nation were thinking, this book offers an answer to that ‘why’ and also reveals the implications of the mandate for the future of Indian politics. ‘I recommend Modi Mandate 2019 as the best account you would get from anybody who has pursued the voters and gauged their intentions.’ —Meghnad Desai, Member, House of Lords, United Kingdom ‘Pradeep is a rare mix of academic rigour, tremendous hard work and impeccable field work—a combination that no other psephologist in India can match.’ —Arnab Goswami, Editor-in-Chief and Founder, Republic TV ‘Pradeep Bhandari’s book provides a rare analysis of the 2019 verdict. It is penned by the person who, since his arrival less than a decade ago, has changed the grammar of psephology and indeed represents a generational shift among psephologists who engage with India’s elections. This book offers the reader insights on both the mandate itself and the drivers of voter choice. It is a must-read for all who want to engage with the world’s largest democratic exercise.’ —Samir Saran, President, Observer Research Foundation

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