On 26 May 2014, millions of Indians glued to their television sets and smartphones followed every single moment of the swearing-in ceremony of the Narendra Modi–led National Democratic Alliance (NDA). After Modi became the fifteenth prime minister of India, all eyes turned to the person who was sworn in as the first cabinet minister of the Modi sarkar—Rajnath Singh. As the national president of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Rajnath Singh had led the party to its biggest electoral victory until then, but more importantly, he delivered on the biggest gamble of his four-decade-long political career when he put his weight behind Narendra Modi as the NDA’s prime ministerial candidate in the face of stiff opposition both within and outside the alliance.
Gautam Chintamani’s Rajneeti takes us through the journey of the man behind Modi.
Singh’s statesmanship unencumbered Modi to seek the electorate’s mandate and return with an impressive victory.
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Modi’s term as the longest-serving chief minister of Gujarat and the achievements of his government were an affirmation of the path that Singh had envisioned for the BJP.
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The appointment of Amit Shah as in-charge for Uttar Pradesh for 2014 Lok Sabha elections, Singh’s own home turf and one of the most important states in the grand scheme of things, hinted at how Singh was thinking. ……. entrusting Amit Shah with UP showed that Singh meant business.
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Both Singh and Modi are quintessential organization men who put the party before everything else. Both had taken up the responsibility they were given through the course of their public life and focused on doing what was right, which, at times, could come at the cost of what others in the party felt.
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Singh continued to maintain there was no doubt about Modi being a popular leader and had projected a successful model for development in Gujarat but added that it was the BJP’s Parliamentary Board that would take the final call.
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In September 2012, as Modi undertook his month-long Vivekanand Yuva Vikas Yatra, Singh was present to extend his support for his colleague’s journey through 182 assembly constituencies of Gujarat.
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Singh’s last moment announcement appointing Modi as the chief of the party’s election campaign commission for 2014 at the BJP’s Goa National Executive was seen as bringing Narendra Modi one step closer to being made the party’s prime ministerial candidate.
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As swayamsevaks, Singh as well as Modi were proud of the Sangh’s influence on their thought process and their careers but that was where the influence ended.
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For Rajnath Singh, winning the 2014 Lok Sabha election meant delivering on a promise that he had made to himself half a decade ago..The thumping victory would become a part of Rajnath Singh’s political legacy as would his unwavering dedication to push Narendra Modi as his party’s prime ministerial candidate.
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On 26 May 2014, Narendra Modi took oath as the prime minister and Rajnath Singh was sworn in as home minister of the republic of India.
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