Besides, Muslims in Gujarat are just about nine per cent of the State's population. In some pockets they are in a position to influence the electoral balance but that has little impact on the formation of the Government. Also, there is a perception that their decision to vote for the Congress en bloc polarised the voters even further - there may be some truth in this. But how much difference it made to the voting pattern is debatable.

Besides, one has to take note of what Mr Modi said after coming to power. He spoke of taking five crore Gujaratis with him. He spoke of justice to all and appeasement to none. In fact, he has even dropped all charges against a Muslim youth who could have landed in jail for eight years for a hate mail he had sent to Mr Modi. The million dollar question is, are we seeing a new Mr Modi? Of course, it depends on how one looks at it.

The rhetoric, posturing and even the much touted agendas during the election campaign take a back seat when it comes to running a Government. The slogans can catch votes but it is governance that will sustain anyone in the seat of power. The parties that were so formidable once had to bite the dust because of their poor performance and complacency. Indeed, Mr Modi an astute politician, is well aware of this. He has a daunting task to get Gujarat back on the track of development, progress and prosperity. These will be his priority. He will need all his energy and ingenuity to achieve this. Above all, he will need all the five crore Gujaratis to march with him and that includes the minority community as well, who should stand shoulder to shoulder like they did in the past.

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