Prime Minister Modi will go down in Indian history as one of the most impactful leaders ever who changed the course of history. India before him was a different country, and it took a different turn once he became prime minister. It remains to be seen if changes that have occurred during his regime are permanent or just a blip in history. Undoubtedly, he is the greatest leader within the pantheons of the Hindutva fold. Atal Bihari Vajpayee is the only one who can come close to him.

Vajpayee was undoubtedly a charismatic leader. He was a great orator. He commanded great respect not only from his party but also from the leaders of other parties and ideologies. He was called a ‘right leader in the wrong party’. Modi is more feared than respected, but the aura around him is unmatched. Vajpayee was also a Swayam Sevak, but he was first-among-equals. A leader within the party could argue with him and survive but not with Modi.

When the BJP needed to form the government at the centre in 1998, it was because of Vajpayee that the party could attract support from secular parties. One can argue that in 2024, many secular parties like the JDU and the TDP supported Modi to form the government when the BJP did not have the majority numbers. But both situations can’t be compared. The BJP in the 1990s was not a dominant party. It was the Congress system; secularism and constitutionalism were the defining creeds; communalism was abhorred. Let’s not forget, to seek the secular parties’ support, the........

© Free Press Journal