The model that drove Modi to PMO

New Delhi: The Gujarat model, much glorified or maligned, is seldom properly understood. It’s a pro-active model for growth which could be adapted by other states without the political nomenclature.

Simply put, it’s a pro-active model for growth which makes “active solicitation of investment”. Nitish Kumar’s Bihar could have done well, if only he took pro-active measures in inviting investment.

Many other states could have followed the passion of Modi in inviting investment and creating jobs. Unfortunately, some of these politicians have become adept at playing the caste card and winning election after election.  Before Chief Election Commissioner T N Seshan arrived, booth-capturing was the short cut to winning elections, which some parties had perfected.   

Indian democracy has come a long way from its primitive stages. Today performance matters, development matters, job creation matters. The young electorate will critically evaluate the performance of governments, and those who have only passed laws without implementing them are thrown to the winds!

Gujarat model is all about proactively inviting investment – and Modi’s stellar role helped him create a niche and the political space he needed.  

The second characteristic of the Gujarat model is the speedy clearance of projects. Ratan Tata’s Nano misadventure in West Bengal and its successful relocation to Gujarat speaks volumes for this model.  

A pro-active bureaucracy and minimum political interference is the key to rapid industrialisation of Gujarat. 

Infrastructure – rural connectivity, technological innovations especially in farming, and e-governance and power sector reforms – tells another story of the Gujarat model.

Modi was not talking in the air during his whirlwind campaigning. He was standing firmly on the edifice of the Gujarat Model for all to see. Modi’s performance – not empty words – won him his political fortune.