‘Messianic spell’: How Narendra Modi created a cult personality from the age of eight

The prime minister is trying to win a third term in the elections and has set his sights on exceeding Ghandi as he morphs into a religious leader, experts say

As the distant rumble of a helicopter drew closer, cheers erupted from the gathered crowds in anticipation. By the time India’s prime minister finally stepped out on to the stage, bowing deeply while immaculately dressed in a white kurta and peach waistcoat and with a neatly trimmed beard, the chants had reached a deafening pitch: “MODI, MODI, MODI.”

These scenes, at a campaign rally on the outskirts of the Uttar Pradesh town of Meerut, have been replicated across the country in recent weeks as Modi and his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) seek to win a third term in India’s election, which begins on 19 April and goes on for six weeks.