Finding NaMo

摘要

Narendra modi, the burly chief minister of Gujarat, is on a roll. On December 20th he won a third successive state election. Though the tally for his Bharatiya Janata Party (bjp) fell slightly, from 117 seats in 2007 to 115, his victory was emphatic, a triumph more for Mr Modi than for his party. Nobody should doubt he now yearns to be prime minister. Visiting the bjp's headquarters in Delhi, on December 28th, he was greeted by party workers chanting "pm, pm". Gujarat, a western state of some 60m, flourishes economically, though it lags behind much of India in terms of social indicators. It serves as a base for Mr Modi's ambitions. In a country that lacks compelling national leaders, he can tell a credible story about the past ten years: electoral victories, competent and relatively uncorrupt administration, political calm for a decade and a steady flow of investment.