Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi’s elevation to national centrestage after being anointed the BJP’s campaign committee chief for the 2014 general election may have enthused party workers and rejuvenated them, but the road ahead is less rosy than perceived by BJP leaders.
Many Modi supporters among the party’s top leadership feel he was the best possible choice and that this gives the party a better chance to return to power at the Centre by removing the Congress-led UPA.
But Mr Modi’s march to Delhi could turn out to be tough given that the BJP has no significant presence in South India, West Bengal and the Northeast. Uttar Pradesh too, with the largest number of Lok Sabha seats, will also be a major testing ground, as the BJP is in total disarray in the state.
In the South, with 130 parliamentary seats, the party’s presence is almost nil, barring Karnataka.