The Modi Effect: Inside Narendra Modi's campaign to transform India

by Lance Price

Modi Effect

Genres: India, Politics, Nonfiction, Biography, History, Current Affairs

352 pages, Paperback

First published March 12, 2015

Reviews

[Rohit Ghai · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn't hear about this book while it was being written (I don't think many people did), but when the story broke, it was quite close to the release of the book. The snippets that appeared in the media more than whetted my appetite and I grabbed the book when it finally was available.

So was it good?

Let me start at the beginning with a disclaimer. I am an ardent fan of Narendra Modi. I closely followed every aspect of this election, and the period of two years leading up to the culmination. This journey was amazing to those who believed, and intriguing to those who didn't. Whatever was your emotion, the fact is that you were not unaffected. And that is why this book is significant. There was another (by Rajdeep Sardesai, the review of which you can read at https://shihanspeaks.wordpress.com/20...) but that was by an observer. This book was by a person who was given unprecedented access to the goings-on behind the scenes. Big difference. And it shows.

Lance Price does well by indicating very early on into the book that he isn't a fan of Modi politics and in fact wouldn't have voted for him if he was eligible. This lends credibility to his observations, which are not partisan or pre-judged, as most Indian journalists would have been. The book reads as an interesting commentary, peppered by observations from the subject himself. In between, the book does get a bit too descriptive, especially when Price takes time out to explain the mechanics to the non-Indian readers. There is very little on Rahul Gandhi and Kejriwal, but thats understandable given the fact that this book was intended to be about the Modi campaign.

As i neared the end, I found myself yearning for more...more sound bites from Modi, more experiences during that grueling campaign. A huge shortcoming of the book is that Price wasn't able to get an audience with Amit Shah, and thats like reading Sherlock Holmes without Dr. Watson. Amit Shah was THE man who brought in the victory, and if I was Price, I would have moved heaven, earth and Modi to get him to speak.

Nevertheless, this book is more enjoyable that Sardesai's, which was an armchair account of the elections. However, a one time read. If you want more Modi, suggest you switch on your television and sit back, coz the man is everywhere. All the time. Everytime. Just like he was during the Indian Elections. And judging from the people's reactions, we are still loving it.

[yash ranjan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love him or hate him, you have to respect this man. This book was just lying around my house when I thought of reading this just because I was curious as to how he started his journey, how the 2014 elections happened (I was not very politically aware at that time). This book actually served that purpose of giving a neutral and an outsider's perspective of modi's journey till the 2014 election. I was especially fascinating (and a bit sad in retrospect) by what people's expectations at that time from him and how he maneuvered through the hurdles to be present at the right place at the right time.
The book is detailed when its required and the author has skimmed through some of the portion(especially the godhara riots). I would recommend this to someone who has no idea about Indian politics or has just started following. I wish not but maybe 10 years from now the future generations might need this to understand how the person ruling them got into power.

[Mike · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m not much given to reading books on politicians, but this one on India’s new Prime Minister is fascinating. It’s less a biography than an overview of the extraordinary campaign that put Modi into India’s top position, most of it run ˗ indeed, micro-managed ˗ by the man himself.

Modi has his faults, and some of them arise in the book, but compared to the generally corrupt and bribe-ridden system that is Indian politics, he comes out as a man of considerable integrity. Having begun life in one of India’s poorer classes, he is well able to show how possible it is to make your way to the top. Without being ruthless.

He used up-to-date use of technology in the campaign: from social media (millions of Twitter followers) to state-of-the-art holograms to TV ads produced within hours of being shown.

The vastness of India and its people is seen in the endless volunteers, the enormous crowds at his meetings, and the election in which more people participated than in any other country ever.

Price manages to detail all this without being repetitive, while maintaining a somewhat ironic standpoint. Very enjoyable read.

[Ronak Patel · Rating 1 out of 5]

If you are looking for an insight about the general election campaign of Narendra Modi in 2014, don't go for this book.

However, if you absolutely disconnected to politics & election then you might find some things about campaign & the man himself.

Also, the author in the beginning of the book itself gives his opinion of the man & his party which is kind of not fair, if at all he wanted to voice his opinion, towards end of the book would have been better. It sounds like he is little bit annoyed & biased when he quotes many people for his conclusions.

Also, the book contains very very few quotes exclusive from Modi about what he thought of his campaign & more about the surroundings of the campaign, which if you are political geek would find it redundant.

The biggest surprise was it has no mention of 'Ab ki baar,Modi Sarkaar' slogan in his study of campaign, how one can miss that??

In all, I think if you are not from India or haven't been or haven't followed elections in India, then this might give you glimpse of the man, though not so neutral & good one.

[Nithesh S · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book didn't reveal any "big" secrets about the Modi campaign. Some explanations about the finer details like announcing candidates in the fag end of campaign and saving interviews for the very last were the few new things in the book. Apparently, even Rahul Gandhi was approached to set up a social media capmpaign which he refused because the average voter was generally "poor"

It is a book written mostly for the outside world which did not follow the election as keenly as a curious news junkie. In addition to that he draws a few parallels to the Tony Blair campaign which of course , doesn't really apply to India.

[Madhuri Kudva · Rating 5 out of 5]

I admire this book for many reasons:
1. The PM hired a foreign political journalist to write a book on his election campaign
2. He was given enough space to form his own opinions, agree as well as disagree and express his observations freely
3. The perspective of the election campaign was from a global, outsiders lens, fascinating to look at your own country from this dimension.
4. In many parts of the book, the author has made connections with the challenges of our election campaign with those of other countries through both statistics and opinions. This makes it possible to visualise the sheer scale, width and depth of an Indian National Election!

[Amit · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book describes how Narendra Modi elevated himself for the highest job in the country. It gives you an inside look into the massive campaign for the 2014 general election and how Modi himself launched and fought from the front. I personally found this book to be quiet unbiased towards any one ideology and the author mostly tried to showcase both positive and negative traits. Overall, it's a good read if you are interested in politics.

[Shashank Vaze · Rating 5 out of 5]

The year 2014 has been an exciting, energizing and electrifying year for Indian politics. This General Election has been an important turning point for the India in days to come. Thanks to the blitzkrieg election engineering done by BJP and Modi. This book unravels the stories behind the curtains which will ever-memorable in the lives of people who were part of Team BJP - Team Modi. The interesting part to look forward to in the coming years is will the Indomitable Will of Narendra Modi fade off or bring out positive change at the grass root level.

[Loz · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting intro to Indian politics

Good intro to Indian politics if you are ignorant like me, probably not so good if you are already well informed. A good amount of background info to put events in context but sticks to main focus of the electoral campaign.

[Prasannajeet Pani · Rating 5 out of 5]

Going inside the campaign which got the political leader with the largest number of votes in the world, the author presents what appears as a outsider and unbiased account of the BJP 272+ machinery.

[Muthu Raj · Rating 3 out of 5]

Gives details into Modi campaign with impressive details. But the writing style is bland and disappointing in terms of even cursorial analysis.

[Diocletian · Rating 3 out of 5]

I knew little of Modi before I read this book, which I picked up on a whim. What I learnt was that, he is a highly arrogant, egomaniac with delusions of grandeur. He refers to himself in the third person (which is a red flag right there) and takes advice from his astrologer. What kind of person has a suit tailored that has your name stitched into it over a thousand times? Worryingly, you can draw many parallels with Trump's campaign for America: divisiveness, attacking the media/using social media, thin skinned and a populism strategy. Though at least Modi's modus operandi is a little more subtle and less extreme.

On Godra, Price gives both sides to what happened, the reader will likely draw the conclusion that Modi did not do enough as Chief Minister to stop the violence quickly enough. It is difficult to say whether Modi really holds nationalistic views himself. It appears he does condone divisive rhetoric by his subordinates but is this to pacify the Sangh and win elections or is it because of his ideology?

Whatever your opinion of Modi or his politics, the man knows how to run a highly successful national campaign. Borrowing tropes from the Clinton, Obama and Blair campaigns and building on these with his own ideas. In sum, he made the whole election about himself, that rather than electing an amorphous party, the BJP, you were electing him. He embraced technology, beaming holograms into distant villages, where they didn't even own a TV, he held umpteen rallies throughout the country and unleashed blistering attacks on Congress. Don't forget to add in a couple of catchphrases into the mix as well. And it seems to have worked for him again in 2019 too.

It was quite impressive to see a man of humble beginnings (low caste, Dalit) and chai wala be elected Prime Minister with a majority in a country with over 1 billion in population. Let's not forget that after Godra he was very much a pariah and there was resistance in the BJP against his selection. All this notwithstanding, the final chapter sees Price unleash his most blistering critique yet in The Modi Defect. As with any populist, it is likely that Modi has over promised and will under deliver as Price says. Not to say the PM hasn't made some modest progress but his first budget wasn't very radical and more in line with something Congress would do. Modi is essentially a crony capitalist, giving government jobs to friends and businessmen who helped him on his campaign trail, a different form of corruption than the usual cash for state jobs. The defect is the qualities that helped him get elected will stop him being successful in office.

Quotes

Whether in his heart Modi has moved on from his more hardline interpretations of Hindutva ideology is impossible to judge.

Sometime after 1500 BCE, in the early Vedic period, republics governed by assemblies became common. So much for the idea that the benevolent British who first bequeathed India democracy as a last act of generosity before leaving the country to fend for itself.

"I believe your life is pre-decided so why worry?"

- N. Modi

He has an ambivalent relationship with the journalists' profession. He is desperate to know what they are saying about him and puts in enormous effort to ensure they write about him in the way he wants.

The Supreme Court expressed dismay that thirteen thirteen of the 45 ministers in Modi's first government were facing pre-existing criminal charges, including rape, attempted murder and intimidation. [...] The number of ministers implicated grew to 20 out of 66, almost a third.

[Sudhagar · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very well written and balanced account of Modi's 2014 General Election campaign. Price has spoken to a wide spectrum of politicians, political workers, analysts, journalists and even Modi himself to come up with this excellent book. He has taken a very objective and balanced view of a very controversial person and did not shy away from dissecting all the key controversies and incidents involving Modi, including those happened during his time as the Chief Minister of Gujarat. Unlike many western journalists, he examines these controversies without reverting to pre-conceived notions or use the prism of Western democratic tradition.

It is not easy to achieve this feat but Price has done a valuable service for the non-Indian readers in understanding Modi and his rise to power in the 2014 election. Price also does a fantastic job in explaining the campaign strategies and tactics of Modi and his team, many of these are ground-breaking and unprecedented and never been done before in India or elsewhere in the world.

I would also commend the writer on his writing skills and keeping the narrative tight and interesting. Even though I am familiar with the Indian political scene, I devoured the book.

I do have a few points that could have made the book better. One is that it would have been better if the writer had been present in the country while the events unfolded as he would have experienced them himself so he could report without relying on others to recount the event.

There is not much mention on the role of the Indian diaspora on the campaign and I think they played an important part. Much of the support for Modi did not happen because of all the physical and social media campaign, but the people were already clamouring for it. Furthermore, Indian politics is unique in the sense that it is very much personality driven rather than party driven.

Also, Price focuses too much on the North/West and Central India while neglecting to mention the areas that BJP lost, especially in the South. It would have been good to analyse why he failed to get traction there and what was the campaign strategy there.

All in all a fantastic book and a required reading for anyone wanting to understand Modi and the controversies that surround him.

[Aditi Mukherjee · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book could very well have been named - The determined Prime Minister (After Ex Prime Minister's Manmohan Singh's book 'The Accidental Prime Minister.') For someone who hasn't read much about Narendra Modi, it is a good book to make a beginning with, although as the title suggests, it primarily covers his 2014 election campaign that led to his eventual landslide victory.

And while Lance Price attempts to be neutral, it is easy to fathom that he is quite taken by the charisma of our national leader. From the book, Narendra Modi comes out as a determined, focused, image conscious leader with a deep political understanding of India, who with the support of his trusted advisers leads India's first one of its type presidential campaign centered totally around him.

And yet, the book is more a collection of various pieces of information rather than author's personal insights. Considering that Lance Price had been at the helm of affairs in the UK political space, it should have been more that mere details of sequence of events.

The book is meant for an international audience with little knowledge of the Indian political and electoral system. Indian readers must take his writing with a pinch of salt. Most of the information collated in the book is publicly available in online directories. If anything, the book appears lazily researched. For the purpose of quotations, the author chooses people who are readily available to talk about Narendra Modi rather than the ones more credible.

I picked up the book solely because it is written by an international author who I expected would probably be a little less biased towards or against Narendra Modi than most Indian political writers. And Lance Price does try hard to live up to that expectation.

[Sry Puteri · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am not a fan of Narendra Modi nor keeping up with his journey as Prime Minister through news portal. So as a disclaimer, my point of view will probably come from a complete stranger to the issue of India.

The first time I read about the quote summary behind the book, I was caught up. The quote said, "How did a 'chai wala' who sold tea on trains as a boy become Prime Minister of India?". I was expecting a story of hardship, full of struggle and the suffering of Narendra Modi from his childhood. I would like to understand what motivated him to be a Prime Minister, a typical biography that's probably being dramatized or exaggerated. I would like to be inspired by what kind of principle that he held so dear so he could be a PM. Unfortunately, I didn't get that impression from the book. I felt that the book was too plain in explaining the way he raised to power. It was just a typical campaign teamwork. Even though I really appreciate the elaboration of Modi's 3D breakthrough in India, but the gravity of the author's elaboration was not really resonating.

On the other hand, I love the balanced portrayal of Narendra Modi in this book. The author did not only visualize the positive side of him, but the negative side of him as well. It was beautifully written in the chapter of Modi Effect and Modi Defect. He was writing about Modi's achievement in triumphing votes and his leniency to Hindu ultranationalists. This is an objective narrative that the author had built.

[CSin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book right after finishing Rajdeep Sardesai's account of the 2014 Indian elections and yet found both the books equally valuable. Since both the books have been written by veterans in their field, it was equally fascinating to experience the landmark journey of 2014 Indian election from the viewpoints of both an Indian and a British political commentator. Bench marking the personality traits of Indian politicians, policies and culture of Indian politics with those observed around the world was a significant value-add provided by Mr. Lance. Although he may have found us wanting when it comes to accepting us as a truly progressive and liberal democracy (I mean who can understand democracy better than Britishers - people who managed to enslave more than half of the world at one point in time. Just kidding Mr. Lance. On a serious note, we have a long way to go e.g. enabling constructive dialogues between the administration and the press; freedom to critic the government and their ability to accept it in the right spirit etc. etc. in short - like the perfect gentleman Mr. Obama :)), I found this book to be another testament to the unparalleled passion and brilliance of the man himself - Narendra Damodardas Modi (India's rockstar and orator extraordinaire)

[Kaustubh Kirti · Rating 2 out of 5]

A captivating account of the 2014 election which were probably one of the largest in the world. THe book deals in details with various nuances and scenarios leading up to the election. IN the tale the author touches right from childhood Modi to the digital man he is known today.

Good read and food for though for a foreign audience however I feel Indian audience need more behind the scene drama. Author tries to put the picture through phases like Jat consolidation post Muzaffarnagar Riots, the Amethi fight between Irani, the leaving of Nitish Babu etc to make the tale enticing but for the people following elections much seemed to be desired. The book also covers some of the controversies post the 2002 riots which pushed Modi into international isolation however post the Maut Ka Saudagar garb how he came to foray into commanding what the media said post 2012 Gujarat elections.

The book goes on to describe the relationship with Modi and the media and how the digital plays a key role in over role of how he functions. In the author's own words this was one of the largest elections in modern history with an electorate of entire Europe combined and the result was a thumping victory so the story has to be grand very grand !!!!

[Alex · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was really looking for a good book about modern Indian politics and Modi.

This is not it. The author spends a big chunk of the content name dropping people he has met.

The analysis is pretty thin to say the least and doesn't really engage with the unique societal context of India (maybe it doesn't intend to).

Chapters average about 10 pages, and the font isn't small. Throwaway trite comments are made, and never explained, about how Modi fits into the wider political tapestry

Beyond the biographical details I learned less than a cursory glance at the Wikipedia page would have told me. Chapters start with illuminating sections, like what time Modi gets up, what device he reads emails on, and what his morning routine is.

More substantially very little attempt is made to engage critically with what he represents. His statements are often taken at face value. Access to Modi seems to have been prioritised over meaningful engagement.

Interesting only for what Modi's intentions in agreeing to the interview may tell us, and some thin biographical factoids - otherwise a rather phoned in book.

[SHANKU SHARMA · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book sums up Prime Minister Narendra Modi's campaign in order to bring changes in the country. Every aptly, vividly, precisely and lucidly Lance Price has described the inner workings of an election campaign. Modi is certainly the household name and the book does not contradicts it. The journey of a man from being a tea vendor to a Prime Minister of the world's largest democratic country has been well presented and projected before the readers by Price. One of the most important feature of the book is that it was been written so well that mere words fail to describe or measure its brilliance. Being a fan of Modi and a novice reader, I would like to sum up that it is an excellent piece of work which will forever remain etched in the readers' memories.

[Shreyas · Rating 3 out of 5]

Logistics behind the scenes of it and the grandeur of the campaign are only two insights one gets from this book. Sources of the book are mostly interviews with Modi and other bjp leaders, or collaborators in the campaign. Personal interviews of leaders of other parties, new conclusions backed by authors own analysis of previously unknown data are missing. Opinions of almost all congress leaders are sourced from their media interviews. It resembles a comprehensive but typical news report of the massive campaign by a western journalist, with a little few off the record anonymous confessions for spice.

[Nandita Patyal · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book talks all about the 'who', 'what' & 'how' of 2014 Indian prime ministerial election which was won by BJP. It gives you a sneak peek into Indian politics and takes you back to the election campaigning times when the political parties are trying to woo the Indian voters.
The most Interesting part of the book is that author has very independently reviewed all the activities and incidents during that period from a third person's point of view.
If you're curious to know about the success of brand Modi - do give it a read.

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked this up because I live in an Indian community and wanted to know more about the ideologies of the politician who got more votes than anyone else on earth. The subtitle says it all- "Inside Modi's campaign to transform India". The focus of the book was on the inner workings of the campaign- holograms of Modi everywhere, Modi doubles, lots of background upon speeches and technology used in the campaign. I would have liked to have read more about Modi's ideologies and the ways in which Modi intends to transform India beyond technology and infrastructure.

[Sumit Agrawal · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book covers in depth the details of the 2014 BJP election campaign. Although I loved the narrative, I am not very impressed with the writing. The information provided in the book is more in terms of the details of the campaign and less in terms of commentary or perspective on the election. Overall, a good read for anyone looking to understand the kind of effort that goes behind an Indian election campaign and how great leaders display attention to detail when it comes to winning big.

[Durgesh Bhende · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is the answer to those who think Modi was only elected as a Pm candidate in Goa by parliamentary committee of BJP. This book reflects his preparation for PM candidate ship from 2012 when he won Gujarat Elections for 3 straight time.

This book is also a "Must read" because its author as he is neither Pro BJP nor Anti BJP. One can also make out hwy Modi's foreign policy is so strong after reading this Book.

I will rate this book 4 stars.

[Sapthagiri · Rating 4 out of 5]

Electrifying Effect!

Thank you Mr. Sanjay Jalan for recommending this book. Brilliant work by Lance Price.
Detailed account of strategies used by NaMo and his party during the 2014 elections.
We all might know that NaMo had a team to look after his campaign, yet not many know why, how and what of it.
A must read to understand the importance of Political Communication to the Masses.

[Hasan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall a good book as it gives the perspective of a political machinery behind one man who took on the Indian establishment and won despite his name being tarnished. Good book for students of political communications.

[Vyas · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent book for getting to know one of India's most consequential prime ministers. Though the title may suggest otherwise, this book cannot be fairly described as tendentious, with Price delving into the various shades of Prime Minister Modi's leadership.

[Neeti · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5, rounded off to 4.

[somashekhar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Its a must read.

A very detailed analysis of the 2014 elections.An unbiased account from an outsider.An extremely detailed BJP strategy told in a simple manner

[SP · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting read I would say. Shows what someone’s journey from no one to someone most powerful in nation.