Why Narendra Modi's annointment is good news for Indian politics steeped in dynastic politics

New Delhi: Finally, Narendra Modi has been declared the PM candidate of BJP for upcoming general elections slated to be held in 2014. While the cadre of the BJP is ecstatic over the announcement, there is a palpable sense of unease both inside and outside the BJP.Leaders like Sushma Swaraj and L K Advani are unhappy because they considered themselves to be the strong contenders for the top job. They are feeling helpless because Modi's candidature has got solid support from the foot soldiers of the BJP.The secular lobby of the country may be crestfallen but if we keep aside ideological preferences for the time being then one thing that we all can easily agree upon is the fact that Narendra Modi's anointment is good news for Indian democracy steeped in dynastic politics. It's good news because at a time when most of the political parties have become family properties and are being run by sons and daughters, here is a man who comes from a humble background and had to fight fierce intra party battle before he was given the baton to lead the party in Lok Sabha elections. That his contemporaries and peers opposed him faded out in the face of the fact that he was opposed by none other than his own mentor. But it was the intense pressure of the grass root level workers that forced the party leadership to declare him the PM candidate. Modi's opponents say that he was declared PM candidate under immense pressure from RSS. Even if that is true, one has to ponder over the reasons for RSS to push Modi's case. It's not that RSS functionaries and its sister organizations are very happy with Modi. We all know how VHP and Bajrang Dal leaders opposed Modi in Gujarat.RSS has supported Modi because it could see the groundswell of support for Modi that was getting vocal day by day. Had Modi not been popular among masses and party ranks, RSS would not have bothered to put its weight behind Modi. In one sense, even RSS has bowed to the essence of democracy where the most popular leader is given the mandate to lead the party. In fact, Modi's elevation is somewhat similar to the American primaries that provides for leadership selection through democratic means. This is in sharp contrast to leadership criteria that majority of political parties follow in India. The leadership criteria for these political parties is that you have to be either a son, daughter or a closer relative of the reigning leader for aspiring to lead that party in elections. This is prevalent across the country, from north to south. From Farooq Abdullah-Omar Abdullah in Jammu and Kashmir to Prakash singh Badal – Sukhbir Singh Badal in Punjab to Chautala family in Haryana, Mulayam-Akhilesh In UP, Lalu-Rabri and family in Bihar, Patnaik family in Orissa, NTR and Reddy families in AP and Karunanidhi family in TN. It is very difficult for a common party worker of these parties to aspire for the leadership position. BJP and Communist parties are perhaps the two exceptions.Under these circumstances, the elevation of Narendra Modi is definitely good news for Indian democracy that has been mired with nepotism and dynastic succession in the majority of Indian political parties.You can love Modi, You can hate Modi but you have to appreciate his elevation because it's a salute to the inner party democracy that Indian polity needs so badly.This is something that you can never expect in parties like Congress, SP, RJD, TDP, NC, DMK and others.Therefore, fight Modi on issues and ideologies but as far as his elevation as PM candidate is concerned, all those who believe in inner party democracy should give a big THUMBS UP to his anointment as BJP's official candidate for the top job.