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An unauthorized biography of the man hoping to be India’s prime minister.

Narendra Modi is one of the most controversial politicians dominating contemporary India. Never before have we had a leader like him, one who is loved and hated in equal measure.

At a time when endemic corruption and weak governance have become major issues, Modi’s image as a decisive leader who can provide a clean administration has catapulted him on to the national stage. Helping his rise are his skills as an orator and claims to development in Gujarat, as also his popularity on social media, knack for attracting the youth, and ability to inspire industry’s confidence.

But, for all his achievements he has also spawned a culture of fear that, too, now risks being replicated. Already living in anxiety are such varied groups as minorities haunted by the ghosts of 2002 and his own party colleagues who feel he will crush them as he consolidates power.

If he becomes prime minister—an ambition that has consumed him for the past many years—Modi will have to walk a tight rope, given that India is a complicated country to rule. Will its most incendiary politician manage to lead a billion people? Or will he just get down to implementing what he thinks is the Hindutva agenda? Modi Demystified takes a hard, unbiased look at the man through his formative years and his decade in power and attempts to answer these questions.