Who is the most fashionable Prime Minister India has ever had? Two-and-a-half years into his term, Narendra Modi would win the poll hands down.
Until a few years ago, the question of fashion was not fashionable among politicians clad in bland khadi kurtas and pajamas. But Prime Minister Modi, who belongs to a state where people in the arid zones wear prodigious cotton turbans, has redefined the significance of sartorial choices in politics.
This is reflected in his sense of dressing, in which donning colourful headgear when visiting ethnically diverse states is an essential element.
Part of Modi’s reason to adopt ethnically symbolic dress codes is to enhance his reputation as not just a Gujarati, but a national leader sensitive towards establishing good credentials among India’s culturally diverse population.
Very few national leaders – Indira Gandhi, AB Vajpyee and Jawaharlal Nehru being the exceptions – have marketed appearances and the charm of images as well as Narendra Modi.
(An earlier version of this video was published on 16 May 2015 when Modi completed one year in office.)
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