(Above): India’s new Prime Minister Narendra Modi (l) meeting former Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh in New Delhi, May 27. [Press Information Bureau]

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I have watched Narendra Modi’s victory speeches in Vadodara, Delhi and Varanasi. I did not watch Manmohan Singh’s farewell address to the nation, a day after his government was voted out of power, as I expected it to be boring and clichéd.

Singh is history, Modi is the future. Reams will be written about Singh’s 10-year tenure as Prime Minister. Most current analysis and literature, including Sanjaya Baru’s book The Accidental Prime Minister, an insider view about PMO under Manmohan, have not been very kind.

Given Modi’s stupendous victory, the country was clearly dissatisfied with Congress-led government being effectively run by the Gandhi family. Manmohan will recede from memory, even as Indians will hope Modi government takes the country forward to new highs and achievements, as promised. However, for a moment I would like to pause and thank Manmohan even as the Modi juggernaut swamps all consciousness and TV moves to the next big story.

As original architect of India’s economic reforms, Manmohan failed in the last 3-4 years when the country needed a fresh dose of change. However, he has had some part to play, including as finance minister in the 90s, in getting India to the position it is right now, the third largest economy in the world with several sectors such as IT, auto, hospitality, telecom, knowledge outsourcing at cutting edge and world class.

Millions, including myself, have benefited. Over the last decade incomes and investments of many have grown to levels that our parents could have never imagined even a decade back. This, in turn, has engendered high aspirations among millions more, a fact that the Congress party election managers failed to gauge, unlike Modi and his tech savvy team.

The results of national elections have made clear the people of India do not want a paternalistic government that hands out free doles. They find it demeaning. They want much more, like the others who have prospered. They can sense and witness prosperity around them, for real, on TV, Internet, word of mouth, especially of migrant workers from Bihar, U.P., West Bengal employed in progressive states such as Gujarat or Maharashtra.

They want to afford the cars and air conditioners, travel in planes, send their kids to private schools that function and teach English, access good medical facilities, clean and safe environment. Nobody is going to be satisfied with some free rice, kerosene and few weeks’ wages for labor. They are not beggars seeking alms.

Manmohan delivered in the past, he needed to deliver more. Unfortunately, he lacked the political support and space. Given his inherent decency, Manmohan chose to remain silent rather than take on Gandhi family and their corrupt cohorts. The Congress party thinking was muddled, uninspiring and random as portrayed by Rahul Gandhi’s vacuous smile when he accepted defeat.

Modi has a big task at hand. Like Manmohan, he will need to ensure that millions more Indians see their incomes and investments grow exponentially, especially in states such as Uttar Pradesh and Bihar that overwhelmingly voted for the BJP. These two Hindi heartland provinces are the most backward in the country due to decades of neglect and rule by regional parties that have played up caste and religion, rather than development, to win votes.

In these elections, Modi has broken many records – the margin of victory at Vadodara, a clear majority for a non-Congress government for the first time in Independent India’s history. However, this is just the beginning of a new battle of meeting high expectations.

Modi will need to break many more records, plug the gaps and inequalities, efficiently manage India’s natural resources such as oil, gas, coal, revamp infrastructure, roads, power generation, Railways, streamline defense procurement and production, clean the rivers, turn private enterprise even more robust, take on corruption. The nation will watch his every step.

The defeated Congress, for one, will not lie low for long. This is important for Indian democracy. I believe Priyanka Gandhi Vadra is going to become a factor against Modi.

Though her campaign and impact has been late and limited this summer, it is unlikely to be so in future. The clamor for larger role for Priyanka is rising, given declining political fortunes of her family that naturally extends to Congress party. Her speeches are good, sharp, interactive, funny, cheesy, unpredictable and spontaneous, unlike her brother who can be consistently distant, abstract, self-conscious, obsolete and boring.

Not a very happy situation when politicians in India need to be consummate entertainers to appeal to huge crowds braving raging summer temperatures. There are signs of a street fighter in Priyanka. She is a good communicator. These are crucial attributes when Parliamentary elections are fought Presidential style. There is an innate probably inherited from her grandmother or God-given charisma, difficult to exactly define, but again very important.

Priyanka, of course, will have to set her own house in order before taking the full political plunge. For one, she will need to rein her husband Robert Vadra from making asinine comments, prove some of his real estate dealings are above board and ensure he strictly sticks to playing golf and riding bikes. She also has to convince her brother to be a little less abstract and more specific in his speeches. Priyanka will be playing a bigger political role, no doubt.

Modi should watch out. Another person who can take on Modi is Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Arvind Kejriwal who has paid the price of being politically impatient in this year’s general elections. There is one trait about the physically slight Kejriwal that, however, cannot be doubted – he knows no fear. This attribute again is very important to stand up to Modi.

The existence of BJP, Congress and AAP as counterchecks to each other is healthy given their pan-Indian influence. Due to rising clout of urban middle class votes these political outfits will need to evolve a broad agenda centered round development and good governance.

I want to thank Manmohan for whatever he did for the country. It was no small achievement. Retire in peace, Dr. Singh. You can be blamed, but others should be blamed much more for the defeat of the government you headed. It is over to Modi now.