Modi’s BJP: Not Just an Inheritance, But a Reinvention

Having secured a momentous third term with a clearly outlined vision, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s overarching legacy, according to a new book, will be that of transforming his party into an electoral machine, a party that can win elections. ‘Indian Renaissance – The Modi Decade’, edited by Aishwarya Pandit, argues that Modi’s biggest contribution lies in dismantling a perception that the BJP, being a purely ideological party, had no mass base. This is the enduring legacy he will leave behind: strengthening not only the party but the belief that the party is supreme.” To substantiate her argument, Pandit cites Modi’s 2019 victory speech to party cadres: “We the workers of BJP, our friends in NDA, we dedicate the victory at the feet of the people… Just like what our president said, the crores of BJP workers, their efforts and the purpose—I feel so proud that my party, which I am a part of, is full of generous people… We have to accept the election results with humility. Modi’s expansion of the BJP’s base beyond caste, community, and religion will be his enduring legacy, as the pressures of national politics have been very different from those of being the chief minister of Gujarat. During Manmohan Singh’s term, social media was at best peripheral to mainstream media, but Modi used it extensively for citizen outreach in Gujarat, as noted by Andy Marino in his unofficial biography of Modi.