Subhechcha Ganguly 
When Narendra Modi walked up to the Red Fort ramparts on Independence Day in 2014, dressed in a white kurta and a striking orange-green Rajasthani safa, he introduced himself as an “outsider to Delhi.” With little experience of Lutyens’ corridors but immense political instinct, Modi declared that he had been “astonished” by the disunity in governance. That moment set the tone for a new chapter in Indian politics.
Since then, Modi’s leadership has transformed governance, foreign policy, and welfare delivery. From decolonising outdated laws and strengthening India’s global presence, to reshaping counter-terrorism strategies and creating new welfare paradigms, his government has set out to dismantle old systems and bring in performance-driven accountability.
One of Modi’s most striking changes was in communication. Dispensing with intermediaries, he reached citizens directly—online and offline—building a style of political messaging that spoke to every section of society. Within the BJP, cadres were mobilised to push government campaigns, from Swachh Bharat Mission to ensuring saturation coverage of welfare schemes, expanding the party’s reach across even non-traditional strongholds.
BJP president J.P. Nadda credited Modi for the unprecedented growth of the party, now the world’s largest with 14 crore members, 240 MPs in the Lok Sabha, and governments in 20 states. “The Modi-led NDA is responsible and responsive. These 11 years have shown politics of performance and accountability,” Nadda said.
Modi’s personal capital also kept the NDA intact despite the exit of key allies, with only the Shiromani Akali Dal permanently staying away. His government delivered on long-promised ideological issues—from the Ram Temple in Ayodhya to the abrogation of Article 370—while simultaneously emphasizing welfare for the poor, youth, women, and farmers, which he described as the “four biggest castes.”
Eleven years on, the outsider of 2014 stands as the most dominant force in Indian politics, credited with not only reshaping governance but also redefining the nation’s political landscape.
