Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s arrival in Gujarat in October 2001 changed not just the state’s governance but also the BJP’s fortunes.
It was the time when Gujarat was in political and administrative disarray.
The Kutch earthquake had devastated lives, killing nearly 10,000. Relief work was faltering, and anger simmered. The BJP had lost the Sabarmati and Sabarkantha bypolls. This was a shock for a state often called the Sangh’s “laboratory.”
It was against this backdrop that Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee summoned Modi, then National General Secretary (Organisation), and asked him to take charge in Gandhinagar. Modi himself was reluctant, but on October 7, 2001, he was sworn in as Chief Minister. His striking words that day will remain etched in our memories, “I have not come here to play a test match. I have come to play a one-day match.”
The urgency in that line set the tone for what followed.
Prior to this, the BJP had formed the government in Gujarat on its own for the first time in 1995, and repeated the feat in 1998. As general secretary (organisation) of the Gujarat unit, Modi was the prime architect of BJP's victory in 1995.
In 1998, Modi had risen to become a secretary in the central BJP handling states like Haryana and Himachal Pradesh. This time too, he played a key role in unifying the Gujarat unit of the party and crafting a successful campaign narrative.
However, the year 2001 was not the first time Modi was seen altering the political landscape.
Back in 1987, as the key strategists behind the BJP’s breakthrough in the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation elections, he helped the party overthrow the Congress in Gujarat’s largest city.
The victory was nothing short of sweeping.
The BJP secured 64 seats outright, but, in a unique twist, its tally later rose to 67. Underworld don Abdul Latif had managed to win five seats in the corporation. As per the rules, however, he could retain only one. The remaining four went to the runner-up candidates. Out of these, three were BJP nominees, pushing up the party’s total to 67.
Meanwhile, the Congress had managed to get 30 seats in a dramatic upset in a state where it had clinched a record 149 Assembly seats under Madhavsinh Solanki in 1985.
Nevertheless, by 2000, the BJP’s organisational weaknesses were showing. Modi’s task was not just to lead a government but to restore the party’s footing.
As Chief Minister, he moved swiftly.
He brought in the idea of Karmyogi governance, instilling a sense of discipline and service among ministers and legislators. He sent his cabinet to IIM Ahmedabad for management training, something unheard of at the time, and personally sat through the sessions.
As a Chief Minister, Modi made governance feel like a mission, not a routine.
What stood out most was his work ethic. Modi simply did not take a day off. It was during his tenure that Gujarat became the first state in India to ensure an uninterrupted 24-hour power supply to every household, a feat many considered impossible.
From the ruins of 2001, Modi rebuilt Gujarat with urgency, discipline, and missionary zeal. For me, standing at close quarters, it was clear: this was the beginning of his larger journey, one that would eventually carry him from Gandhinagar to Delhi.
(Brajesh Kumar Singh is a veteran journalist who has covered Indian politics for over 30 years. He is currently serving as Group Editor at Network18)
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