Shri Narendra Modi has been the most talked about person on Facebook, in India, for the year 2013. According to the social networking giant’s top India trends of 2013, Shri Narendra Modi tops the list of the most mentioned person of the year, followed by cricketing legend Sachin Tendulkar, Apple iconic device iPhone 5s, RBI governor Shri Raghuram Rajan and India’s Mars Mission ‘Mangalyaan’. The popularity index released today by the social networking giant, takes a look at the people, moments and places that mattered the most on Facebook in India in 2013.
A popular icon who promises inspiring leadership, Shri Modi successfully emerged as the most talked about person in 2013, having been the most discussed in conversations happening all over Facebook. This recent acknowledgement of his awe-inspiring virtual presence is proof enough of Shri Modi’s rising popularity, which transcends across the barriers of space and time - from present to the future, and from the real to the virtual.
The ‘virtual victory’
Social media is changing the way we connect and communicate, and Shri Modi was well ahead of his contemporaries in realizing this, way back in 2009. His joining Twitter then, when few leaders had even thought of being active on that platform, is reflective of the forethought he had in comprehending the importance of social media.
The benchmark for all things progressive and productive, Shri Modi has undeniably become an icon, which inspires ingenuity and efficacy. And this penchant for innovativeness is seen, not only in his governance and leadership, but also in his vision of communicating and collaborating with the masses and classes, one-on-one.
His Facebook connect, which has now set records and created history, boasts of likes from more than 6.8 million members, while in the six months when Shri Modi was appointed the head of the Campaign Committee for the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, his Facebook posts increased by 33% and his Tweets by 141%. His tweets are equally popular, as is evident from the over 2.9 million followers his Twitter account has.
Taking the reach a step forward was the Google+ Hangout that Shri Modi became a part of in August 2012. He scripted history then when he became the first ever Indian leader to join a Google+ Hangout.
Going beyond the world of banners and standees, Shri Modi brought in a radical wave when he enthused the political arena with his blog posts and tweets. His idea of connecting with his constituency and the community, merely at the push of a button, has modernized the Indian political arena. From giving updates on national and international news and sharing information on forthcoming legislations, to interacting with the masses and thereby rendering a platform of grievance redressal, Shri Modi has successfully captured the essence of the virtual medium – that of connecting, communicating and causing change.
Connecting to care for, and create with
Shri Modi understood and implemented what no other leader in India could. Envisioning the power of social media, he actively took to a plethora of social media platforms like You Tube, Google+, Pinterest, Stumbleupon, Tumblr and Flickr…sharing his thoughts, acknowledging peoples’ active participation and welcoming their ideas for growth and development of the Nation.
Suitably integrating technology with governance, Shri Modi has been amongst the very few leaders in the world to have inspired the people at contributing ideas for the Nation’s development. He connected with people of all ages, and across all walks of life, with his virtual presence. His official website www.narendramodi.in has been another remarkable effort at putting forth the archetypal of good governance. Highlighting the pioneering initiatives of the Gujarat government, along with putting forth promising approaches worth replicating at the national level, the website underscores the awe-inspiring story of Gujarat’s success in the past decade. It also invites visitors to contribute, by sending pictures, writing articles relevant to the society, and communicating their grievances.
Shri Modi surely knows how to connect, to create. The success figures reflecting the good governance he implemented, and the spectacular show of success the BJP witnessed in the recent Assembly Elections, go a long way in corroborating his vision of empowering the people through interaction and the implementation of their ideas.
The virtual way to victory just seems to have begun for Shri Narendra Modi!
