(Image source from: World media in awe of Modi)
Narendra Modi's stupendous show of strength, as he led BJP from the front bagging a whopping 282 seats — the strongest showing by a political party in India since 1984 — left world leaders as well as the world media in sheer awe of the Man.
The White House rolled out the red carpet for PM-aspirant Narendra Modi, inviting him to visit the U.S.A. President Obama congratulated BJP on it's “historic” win, and said that ““We look forward to working with the new Indian government once formed to advance our partnership.”
Other world leaders like Israel’s Benjamin Netanyahu and Australia’s Tony Abbott also personally called Modi to congratulate him on his massive triumph. Make no mistake, this was a world event.
Modi's triumph has inspired awe, fear and excitement within the foreign media. India's Lok Sabha election 2014 results made big headlines in foreign press who couldn't help but speculate what the future holds for the biggest democratic state in the world and for them.
The Guardian went on to claim how through 'the sheer aggression of the BJP campaign, the threats to the Election Commission – Modi made sure India felt his presence.'
The article further expressed it's concerns over how the BJP's economic visions for India has so far been obscure. It said that if Modi's rule in Gujarat was anything to go by, the economy could now see a rise in crony capitalism.
The New York Times's expressed concern on how India's young voters were unfazed by the decade-old history of the bloody riots in Gujarat. It wrote how Modi benefited from 100 million new voters who were registered ahead of the elections, a majority of them being young or first-time voters. These young crop were unswayed by the blood-riot, which had compelled many Western governments including the USA to impose visa bans on Modi.
The Washington Post mulled over the economic challenges that Modi would face once he takes over the PM's seat.
"On the stump, Modi promised a new India, with an efficient government free of corruption. He pledged to build bullet trains, hydroelectric power plants, manufacturing hubs and dozens of cities, enabling India to rival China, the economic powerhouse next door. A lover of technology, Modi even addressed several rallies as a holographic image. But critics and supporters alike say the state leader dubbed “Development Man” may face challenges implementing his agenda nationwide," said the article.
Meanwhile, the BBC pondered how the 2014 Lok Sabha elections broke old orthodoxies and shackles of dynasty politics, wooing voters across caste, class and gender lines and bagging a sensational win for his BJP. It lauded the party's effort to win the confidence of both rural and urban voters, a rare feat.
The analysts across the country and beyond are predicting that Modi's rise to India's top office will mark a new change for the world's most populous democracy. But how far Modi manages to live up to the analysis is something for the time to tell.
AW: Suchorita Choudhury
