Gujarat won, but here's why Narendra Modi can't be PM

Delhi is still far away from Narendra Modi.

This is Modi's third consecutive win in Gujarat -- he's been Gujarat CM for 10 years and we've had general elections in between. If Gujarat win was the benchmark, Modi should have been the Prime Minister by now.

So what is special about this election? Why are we talking about Modi's win as a sign of impending PM post?

Modi's hat-trick only cements his place within the party, but he's faces same challenges as before -- NDA allies won't support him.

He even needs to win over the RSS and bigger sharks in Delhi to emerge as the undisputed leader within the Sangh Parivar.

No wonder Gujarat has traditionally been a BJP stronghold.

In a parliamentary democracy the individual matters far less than the party. There may be exceptions. A regional leader can start his or her own party like that of Mamata, but it does not work at the national level. Or, may be one family can dominate a national party, but that needs the advantage of dynasty.

From Gadkari to Advani, once Modi’s protector, everyone has gone against Modi. It’s hard to prosper in a parliamentary system when your own people don’t like you very much. As one BJP leader made a clever remark to Outlook magazine, even if Modi succeeds in projecting himself as the next PM, “rest assured, the BJP will defeat him”.