On February 9, in a secret operation, the UPA government hanged Afzal Guru, prime accused in December 2001 parliament attack.

Two days later on February 11, Akali Dal spokesman Prem Singh Chandumajra, claimed the hurried hanging of Afzal was carried out “to counter the growing popularity of Gujarat Chief Minister”.

Others were also equally candid and cryptic.

“Big question bothering me is perhaps jittery over Moditva, Congress is indulging in these last minute gambles - Kasab, Afzal - forgetting about  Sonia Gandhi’s request to President K. R. Narayanan for clemency for Rajiv killers... will these turn out as last minute self goals? Or have they already turned self goals???” – went a facebook message.

“The takeaway from Narendra Modi’s path-breaking address to Shri Ram College of Commerce students in Delhi was that the most vilified Indian politician has set the dream going among youngsters for a Vibrant India,” commented political observer Vidyarthi Kumar.

It was truly a rebranding strategy by a master politician worth his salt – named Narendra Modi. In his speech, he shunned politics totally except a veiled half a sentence on Common-wealth Games mismanagement in 2010 and spoke like a management expert holding over 2000 students spell bound.

Interestingly, the majority of the students were not only commerce students but also girls and not given easily to listen to netas.

“Meri soch alag hae (I think differently),” he said seeking to project himself ‘different’, from run of the mill political class and asserted that, while others especially younger ones seem to be thinking of running away from the country to make careers, he instead showed the confidence of delivering. And importantly, he said he can deliver under the same circumstances of government functioning.

“Everyone thinks they want to run away ..... This is my fourth term as the Chief Minister of Gujarat, and from experience I know that even with the present set up, same constitution, same rules and regulations and same bureaucracy, we can make progress and achieve much more,” he said.

“Big question bothering me is perhaps jittery over Moditva, Congress is indulging in these last minute gambles - Kasab, Afzal - forgetting about  Sonia Gandhi’s request to President K. R. Narayanan for clemency for Rajiv killers... will these turn out as last minute self goals? Or have they already turned self goals???”

Modi used several examples of how his government has generated development and growth in his state.

The usual skepticism the Delhi younger lots are known for displaying was missing. Students were not bored and whenever he sought opinion of the capacity crowd to extend his speech, there was a large applause of approval.

“Not just I, everyone around me was listening with rapt attention to him. When he asked us for time to speak a little longer, the whole auditorium literally screamed ‘yes’,” said Radhika Gulati later.

Blogger Anand Soondas wrote in ‘Times of India’, “The College, said a statement from the Gujarat government, (had) invited Modi after a campus survey, in which students overwhelmingly, indicated their preference to hear him. I won’t be surprised if they are telling the truth. There may be more colleges and universities lining up in the near future to have him address their students”.

Yes, the transition had come about the man, who was a pariah, especially to urbane educated lot. Everyone stayed away from him, afraid that a little bit of the dirt he carried, would soil them too, and rightly points out Soondas.

Preferring students to Kumbh:

Crucially again, Modi chose February 6, for the show in a Delhi college when his Hindutva camp, was debating about his presence in Mahakumbh festival of the Hindus in Allahabad.

“There was a message in that that he wants to address real issues,” commented a student Shourya Agarwal.

Another political observer seemed to have agreed and said “Modi’s performance at this premier Delhi college stamps him as the one Indian politician, who truly has his finger on the pulse of a very large section of the population”.

Modi surprised his friends and foes, as struck chord well with the youngsters with his message to ‘rebrand India’ and used college canteen one-liners and phrases like, ‘google guru’ and ‘chips in a teacher’s mind’.

“Today, there is an atmosphere of hopelessness in the country,” said Modi. Holding a glass of water, he said “while someone would describe it ‘half-empty’ and other the ‘half-full’, I see it as a “full glass — with water and air”.

The catalysts for the success of his state, and that way also of his – to continue the developmental spree in Gujarat especially since 2002, he pointed out were “self-belief and optimism”.

“I am a very positive man, I believe we can change the situation,” he said and many youngsters agreed, bothering little about the campaign against him all these years.

Politically, for BJP the message is more important. To keep the NDA flock together, veterans like Atal Behari Vajpayee and L K Advani, had given up on some of the main planks of the BJP. Probably, it’s high time, that the BJP re-establishes itself as a disciplined party under a strong leader who has delivered in his state and ignites a hope of repeating the same at the national level. ‘India Shining’ had failed Vajpayee; can Modi prove something different?

Swati Deb