Narendra Damodardas Modi, the limelight of Indian Politics today was born 17 September 1950 and became the 14th Chief Minister of Gujarat.

He is a member of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and presently is the prime ministerial candidate of 2014 Indian general elections.

Modi was the main strategist for the BJP in the successful 1995 and 1998 Gujarat election campaigns, and was a major promotion figure in the 2009 elections, won by the Indian National Congress.

Narendra Modi first became chief minister of Gujarat in October 2001 after the resignation Keshubhai Patel, and subsequent to the defeat of BJP in the by-elections. He is at present serving the fourth successive term as Chief Minister.

Modi is a member of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and is a controversial figure both within India and globally as his administration has been criticized for the events surrounding 2002 Gujarat violence. He has been admired for his economic policies, which are creating a high rate of economic growth in Gujarat. However, his administration has also been failing to make a momentous positive impact on development of the state.

Early life and Education:

Modi was born in a grocers’ family in Mehsana district of Bombay State (presently Gujarat), India. He helped his father in selling tea at Vadnagar railway station. He completed his education in Vadnagar, where a teacher described him as an average student.

 Modi's parents set his marriage as a child, in observance with the traditions of the Ghanchi caste. He was engaged at an early age of 13 years to Jashodaben Chimanlal and the couple was married by the time Narendra Modi was 18.

Early political Career:

The RSS assigned Modi to BJP in the year 1985.While Shankarsingh Vaghela and Keshubhai Patel were the established names in the Gujarat, Modi rose to distinction after organizing Ekta yatra.In 1988, Modi was selected as General Secretary of Gujarat unit and his strategy was essential for BJP's victory in the 1995 state elections.

Modi was elected as the National Secretary of BJP in November 1995. Modi was then raised to the post of General Secretary of BJP and was relocated to New Delhi where he was assigned responsibility for the activities in Haryana and Himachal Pradesh.After Vaghela defected from the BJP, Modi was made as National Secretary of the BJP in 1998. 

While selecting candidates for 1998 state elections in Gujarat, Modi favored people who were trustworthy to Patel over those trusty to Vaghela, helping to put an end to the factional divisions within the party. His strategies were credited as being key to winning the 1998 elections.