In Modi’s favour is also the fact that he alone among the BJP’s Gen Next is a proven mass leader, having delivered Gujarat for an unprecedented fourth consecutive term. Rajnath Singh still lives with delusions of grandeur but has never been able to dispel the dark clouds of the UP debacle; Arun Jaitley is a proven poll strategist but is yet to fight anything other than a student election; Venkaiah Naidu last fought a Vidhan Sabha election in 1985; Sushma Swaraj is a proven vote catcher but has been in the Rajya Sabha since 2000.

The fact is that Modi is already seen by much of the rank and file of the BJP as the next great saviour. The only question is if the rest of India will see it that way. His past appearances in states like Maharashtra have been well received, drawing huge crowds but then again, he has drawn a lukewarm response in Uttar Pradesh. In the end, Modi’s political future will depend on whether India can forget 2002 or not.

Historically, no major Indian political leader associated with a riot has ever had to pay a heavy political price — the Shiv Sena won elections in Maharashtra after the 1992-93 riots — but no such political leader has ever had a shot at the throne of Delhi either. Five years from now, is it too far fetched to imagine a Rahul Gandhi-Narendra Modi battle at the hustings? If it does come to that, it will be a test for the idea of India as never before.

... contd.