海角大神

The Hindu nationalist聽leader of the western state of Gujarat, known for his alleged role in the 2002 riots in which 1,000 Muslims were killed, won his fourth consecutive term as chief minister in a landslide on Thursday. The victory puts the controversial figure on track to be a strong contender for prime minister of India in 2014.

Despite the controversy surrounding Chief Minister聽Narendra Modi, he played a critical role in putting Gujarat on a path of consistent economic growth. His win also marks a major defeat for the Congress party, which came in a distant second with 61 seats in the general assembly, compared with 118 seats for his Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP).

Mr. Modi stands out for many as a viable leader because of his recent record of good governance, development, and economic growth, coupled with the Indian Congress鈥檚 failure to effectively manage the country.

鈥淚t鈥檚 the vacuum of leadership that has India desiring a really strong leader who can take action and take this country forward,鈥� says pollster Yahswant Deshmukh. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 why even a polarizing figure like Modi is being talked about and looked upon to give that kind of leadership.鈥�

The BJP's victory is "a message to everyone that development and good governance triumph over divide and rule politics," Modi posted on his Twitter feed.

Modi鈥檚 image is still marred by the bloody Gujarat riots, which put the city on edge and raised minority tensions in the Hindu majority state. Many politicians within his own party refuse to work with him, fearing that doing so will taint their image. In 2005, the US State Department even denied him a visa.

But for a growing number of the more than 60 million people living in Gujarat, Modi鈥檚 record during his decade as chief minster has created a number of believers in his vision for the state 鈥� including Muslims.

Roughly 25 percent who cast their ballots for the BJP this election were Muslim, says Mr. Deshmukh, who polled more than 78,000 voters, including 7,000 Muslims as they exited voting booths across the state. That鈥檚 up from just 3 percent in 2007.聽While the majority of Muslims still vote for the Congress party, a growing number of young educated Muslims are opting for the BJP, says Deshmukh. They believe Modi is the most viable option for sustained growth and career opportunities in the state.

What鈥檚 not clear is how Modi鈥檚 success in Gujarat will translate to the rest of the country. Another question is whether he will be able to snag other minority voters, usually picked up by the Congress party.

Given Muslims' low literacy rates, low rate of employment in government jobs, and lagging per capita income across India, Sufi Saint Mehbubali Baba Saheb says life for the minority religious group is much better under Modi鈥檚 rule. A volunteer with the BJP, he points out that since the Gujarat riots, there has been no communal violence in the state. Some 10 percent of Muslims have government jobs and their per capita income is the highest in the country.聽

But not everyone is convinced.

Despite Gujarat having the third-highest growth rate in the country, 40 percent of children are still malnourished, and hundreds of thousands of Muslims live in slums because they can鈥檛 find affordable housing.

鈥淢odi has very little to offer to India鈥檚 villages, to its agriculture sector and to the very large constituencies that make up Indian politics,鈥� says political analyst Ashish Nandy, adding that Modi鈥檚 constituency is the middle class. 鈥淲hile the middle class may make up a significant portion of the country, over two-thirds of the Indian population does not fall in that category. I think that will be more his undoing than being [known as] a master of inciting a blood bath.鈥�

While Modi may have a long road ahead in his bid to be the next prime minister, Milan Vaishnav of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace says his success in these elections is a springboard into national politics and may force the United States to rethink how it handles its official relationship with him.

鈥淚t would certainly be seen as awkward if US politicians were not at least cordial to Modi,鈥� says Mr. Vaishnav. 鈥淵ou might not see a major change right away, but behind close doors, it鈥檚 very likely the US will start making steps to warm relations.鈥�