A controversial hard-line Hindu politician formally took power as chief minister of India's Gujarat state on Tuesday, after a strong election victory that came as a shot in the arm for his Hindu-nationalist party.
The vote this month in Gujarat, one of India's most developed states, was seen as a barometer of the fortunes of India's two main parties in the run-up to a series of state elections next year and parliamentary polls due in early 2009.
Chief Minister Narendra Modi, who surprised pollsters and analysts by leading the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to a strong majority in Gujarat, was sworn-in for a third term at a stadium in Ahmedabad, the state's main city. Thousands of supporters gathered at the venue, showering flowers at their leader. Many fasted all day as penance until the ceremony was completed.
"He is our leader, our hope and our true Hindu son," said 62-year-old Ramanlal Panchal, as he waited for Modi to arrive. Modi and the BJP were forecast to have only a narrow edge ahead of the December 11 and December 16 two-stage poll with the Congress party, which is in power federally, appearing to give him a tough fight.
During campaigning, Modi initially chose to seek votes on a platform of growth and development. But he returned to his pet hard-line Hindu themes after apparently being provoked by Congress. Modi is a hate figure for Muslims and millions of secular Hindus across the country.
He stands accused of turning a blind eye, and even encouraging, the killing of 1,200 to 2,500 people, most of them Muslims, in communal riots in the state in 2002. In an interview published in the Times of India on Tuesday, Modi suggested the appointment of an independent panel to investigate charges that his election campaign was communal.
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