[View the story " Is Modi in contention for India's Top Spot?" on Storify ] Is Modi in contention for India's Top Spot? Indian voters are looking for alternatives to the ruling coalition ahead of the next general elections. Storified by The Stream · Tue, May 22 2012 18:15:31
The chances of Narendra Modi — the controversial Chief Minister of the Western state of Gujarat — becoming India's next Prime Minister has been a major source of discussion for months, including in a March
TIME magazine cover story . It was tweeted below by Indian Premier League founder, Lalit K Modi.
good to see Narendra Modi on Time Magazine Cover. He is definitely one of India"s most able & capable political leaderleader
On Tuesday, netizens discussed the issue in droves, using the hashtag #ModiasPMBecause.
Modi hashtagAJstream
Their reasons for supporting Modi have varied. For some, he is seen as the best alternative to the nation's ruling coalition, which has been plagued by
corruption scandals for much of the past two years.
#ModiasPMBecause lets face it, there is not a better option.Shashank Singh
#ModiasPMBecause PM stand for Prime Minister and not Puppet ManSushant Jain
#ModiasPMBecause His vocal chords are functional.vineet waghmode
#ModiasPMBecause Sardar Patel was not given a chance by that power hungry Nehru-Gandhi Family but not this time... India wants NaMoNarendra Modi For PM
Aside from the ruling coalition's critics, some truly believe in Modi's leadership and his track record as Chief Minister of Gujarat.
#ModiasPMBecause India needs a strong, visionary and stable governance.Pankaj Mohan
#ModiasPMBecause what he has done wth Gujrat is brilliant & if he does the same wth entire country we wl b a super powerBhairavi Goswami
#ModiasPMBecause Gujarat leads the way in solar power in India.Akhilesh Magal
An
India Today poll in January showed that at 24%, Modi was the most preferred candidate for the Prime Minister's post. Modi is a major figure within the Bharitiya Janata Party (BJP), which is Hindu nationalist, and the main opposition to the Gandhi's Congress Party at the national level. Elections are currently slated for 2014, but could be called earlier.
But despite all the indicators in his favour, Modi remains one of the most controversial and divisive figures in Indian politics. Modi is a Hindu nationalist, has been accused by rights groups of tacitly supporting rioters in the 2002 Gujarat religious riots between Hindus and Muslims which saw around 2,000 people dead.
Final Solution, is a controversial documentary released in 2003 that was initially banned by the Indian government due to fears that it would inflame religious tensions. The documentary heavily implicates Modi in the riots.
2002 Gujrat Riots Final Solution_Documentrykrishan54870
The video below shows a rally in New York held on the 10th anniversary of the Gujarat riots. Demonstrators called for Modi's arrest, claiming he failed to prevent the violence.
Gujarat Riots: Anti-Modi rally in New Yorkndtv
In 2008, a Gujarat State inquiry exonerated Modi over the riots. Last year, a Supreme Court-appointed Special Investigation Team absolved Modi of any complicity in one of the deadliest episodes within the wave of violence. Still, for many, the thought of Gujarat's Chief Minister one day becoming Prime Minister is a worrying one.
#ModiasPMBecause Gandhi's Bharat wants to experiment with a terrorist as PM.Bilal Naqvi
People don't want #ModiasPMbecause India Needs Vision while he will bring DivisionJoy
People don't want #ModiasPMbecause the country can do without mass murderersMehul Desai
#ModiasPMBecause he has good track record of killing innocent people and India is still facing high population issue!! Make him the PM now.Baba Bajao
Still, some remain sceptical that Modi's recent popularity on twitter will translate into votes in 2014.
The Gujjus are at it again assuming a twitter trend will make a murderer the next PM. #ModiasPMBecause is just a twitter dream!GlobalMouthful
#ModiasPMBecause it'll satisfy the collective consciousness of trolls. #TrollBaitShiv Aroor
#ModiasPMbecause in 2014 people wl again vote for Congress and Modi will remain PM in twitterBPG
