The Special Investigation Team’s certificate in the Supreme Court of acquitting him of involvement in communal carnage formed the backdrop of the stage erected for celebration of his completion of six decades with the three days fasts at Ahmedabad for social harmony. Please note that it did not use the commonly used phrase communal harmony but use of social harmony denoted that he considered entire Gujarat as one society and not divided in two communities. The show was a part of his manipulation to emerge on the national stage as only capable leader who can steer the party that stood demoralized by two consecutive electoral defeats with sliding down numbers in parliament.

He left no choice for the mentors but to install him as the commander to lead the party in the electoral fight of 2014 with his terms, his agenda and his campaign machinery. He did not share platform or even in posters for campaign or in slogans for the party. This time was not the party government but of individual as the slogan ‘Abki baar Modi Sarkar’ denoted. His priorities for toilets before the temple clearly suggested his preference for the Gandhism over the Sangh philosophy. His Vikas mantra and inherent promise of rapid economic growth of all performed the political miracle of delivering 282 seats on the party symbol that had never crossed the magic mark needed to enable the party to form its own government. Not only enemies were astounded by his unprecedented performance but also his party leaders who were speechless as they had never hoped for the clear mandate.

His initial pronouncements were clear statement of his comprehension of malaise that afflicted India and his cures for them. Creation of job opportunities for educated young in India as well as abroad was perceived immediate need. He opened doors of the economy for foreign investments and local entrepreneurs. He eliminated potential road blocks to his ideas by colleagues in government and in the party by establishing direct contact mediums with masses through modern means of communication. His system of governance appeared to be only one man show. Resistance came as comprehension of full picture sunk in those who controlled levers of power in the party. Messages began flying all over.

The speed breakers were raised in his rapid drive so not only slow him down but also abandon his efforts to move at a faster pace for economic growth and thus establish his hold over political power. Intent in slowing him down was to retain original character of the slow pace for modernisation. Rapid pace had inherent danger of reducing efforts to establish domination of the original philosophy to irrelevance. Dependence of population on god as giver through its agents on earth cannot be allowed to be minimized with increasing dependence on manmade means of production that was written in industrialisation at a higher pace and there by economic comforts.

While the Prime Minister Narendra Modi was attending to the chief guest for the Republic Day parade, the American President B Obama, message was relayed from Varanasi that people were unhappy as they had voted the BJP on the Temple issue and government has not taken even a single step in that direction. It was an attempt to usurp victory of the Modi mantra with a claim of victory of the party that was identified with the Ram temple movement for two decades. NaMo preferred not to react to the demand by words and also by action. Seven months later he declared from ramparts of the Red Fort on second Independence Day of his regime that he had not changed his priorities.

He endured his defeat in the Bihar polls organized by his party with sudden eruption of communal frenzy, hate campaign against Pakistan and suggestion for review of the Reservation policy. His slow down on the economic front did not mean covert return to traditional politics. He hit back viciously with sudden move for demonetisation. It was more a political in nature and less of economic measure. It unearthed insignificant black wealth but resulted in endorsing fake currency worth over Rs. one lakh crore. It was an economic disaster but helped him with dazzling win in the Uttar Pradesh elections four months later. It clearly shows that he has shifted his political base from the traditional vote bank of the BJP to deprived classes and the Muslim women as his sustained campaign for girl’s education helped their liberation from lifelong captivity.

He does not show eagerness to defy the Sangh Parivar and yet he has shifted the political base as he had done in Gujarat in the 2007 and 2012 assembly polls. He had not concealed his efforts to bring about the shift. Now his road shows are exclusively for his political benefits to convey a message that he was ready to defy in his struggle for political survival. He is in a fortunate position that his party men are unable to condemn him for the economic disaster and opponents outside are unable to see the consequences of his moves. The internal silence over disastrous consequences of his move reflects the internal struggle two years before due elections to the Lok Sabha.

He had apparently anticipated the internal pressure that would come to slow him down on projecting himself as messiah. His gifts of social security for unorganized sector through bank accounts, his gift of turning rural kitchens free of smoke hazard, his awakening of the Muslims to need for education and his sustained campaigns that put the party supporters and the upper class to disadvantages, are all indication of shift in the power base. He is creating conditions in which he alone can lead the party to power corridors. The man who stood accused of communal politics is now dismantling the same.