On the day he finished six years as Gujarat Chief Minister, Narendra Modi was hailed as Prime Minister material by senior BJP leader Arun Shourie in the presence of L K Advani and former Vice-President Bhairon Singh Shekhawat. The occasion was the release of the book Gujarat: Beyond the Obvious, A Reportage on Initiatives for Inclusive Growth brought out by consultancy firm Ernst & Young. The book was released by Shekhawat on Friday. Praising Modi, Advani said even his opponents were forced to accept his achievements in governance. He said that under Modi’s leadership Gujarat has become the least corrupt state in the country.Shourie compared the governments of Gujarat and West Bengal to argue that Modi’s achievements are unparalleled and he is “prime ministerial material”. “Gujarat and Modi are a byword for performance and getting things done,” said Shourie. Referring to violent protests over the failure of Public Distribution System in Bengal, Shourie said Gujarat had set an example by transforming ration shops into village malls. He praised Modi also for reviving sick PSUs. Recapping the initiatives taken by his Government , Modi said: “My effort is to bring about development of Gujarat for the development of India.”
