Was Modi's victory speech calculated leniency?

After another victory to take back power in Gujarat, many believe that Narendra Modi’s speech was perhaps preparing the state and even the nation for his ascent to national politics.

“This man does not do anything without proper calculation. He was more lenient which was his way of claiming for all of  India,” Lord Meghnad Desai told CNN-IBN.

Modi steered the BJP to power in Gujarat but he could not better his last seat record of 117 seats. After his win for the third consecutive time, he made a ‘reserved’ speech to his electorate - apologising to the people for any mistake that he had committed. Does this speech give clear indications of his national ambitions - now that he has almost become the indisputable BJP icon in the country.

Senior journalist Swapan Dasgupta said that Modi tried to do two things with the ’lenient’ speech.

“He tried to dispel the notion that the Gujarat model of development was only for a select few. And the next was a  note of confession - it was a rare occasion where Modi was humble of the ocassion,“he said.

People who were judging his national ambitions through his Gujarat template were making a mistake, he added.

But what are the things Modi needs to do in Gujarat which can propel him to the national stage other than making such speeches?

According to columnist Aakar Patel, he needs to do three things. He said, “Modi needs to prosecute those found responsible in the Godhra carnage. He should distance himself from Maya Kodnani. And he should never induct Amit Shah as a minister in the new government.”