Modi stresses 'packaging, branding' in DU hardsell

Stressing the importance of "branding" and "packaging" in today's world, Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday sold himself repeatedly as a person who thinks "differently" and can bring "change".

Addressing students of Shri Ram College of Commerce here, Modi said his "Gujarat model" of "good governance" shuns "vote bank politics" and stresses on "development politics".

"The solution to all problems is development. The whole nation has been ruined by vote bank politics, what it needs is development. If there is development, there is much scope for improvement in the nation," he said.

Modi, currently the beneficiary of growing calls for him to be made the BJP's prime ministerial candidate, slammed the "sense of despondency" in the country. "People feel nothing will change here. All are thieves... People consider it a curse to be born in India. They want to leave the country soon after completing their studies," he said. "But my thought is different. I am chief minister for a fourth term, and based on my experience, with the same law, same constitution, same rules and regulations, same officers, same people, same files, we can move forward. We can do a lot. I am confident that we can change things."

Holding up a glass, he said that some would see it as half full, others as half empty, but for him, "it has half water and half air".

During his hour-long Shri Ram Memorial Oration at the college, which was telecast live by many news channels, Modi did not make even a passing reference to the BJP-led NDA regime or the other BJP governments which his party projects as equally well-governed states.

In what seemed to be a subtle message to Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi as well as Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, Modi said the political fraternity should not see the youth merely as "new age voters" nor indulge in such "vote bank politics".

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