Indian prime minister Narendra Modi emerged as the winner of the reader’s polls for 2014 TIME Person of the Year, but that did little to impress the magazine’s editors who did not shortlist him among the top eight finalists.
#Time Magazines Person of the year should be PM Modi. Congrats PM Modi for readers choice. Editors choice is in doubt
— Sandeep M Ramani (@ramanisandeep) December 9, 2014
Since Mahatma Gandhi in 1930, no Indian has become the TIME Person of the Year.
On Nov. 19, TIME put out a list of top 50 contenders for the honor. Modi was the only Indian on the list.
Readers could cast their vote on Facebook (by commenting on any post that included the hashtag #TIMEPOY) or Twitter (using the same hashtag) or on the TIME website. Modi’s followers did their best to encourage people to vote.
The hilarity of Modi bhakts is astounding. India will be on top if Modi is chosen as Person of the Year by Time. pic.twitter.com/LdtsFlAOFi
— Shikshit Berozgar (@shubHASHISH) December 3, 2014
The voting lasted through Dec. 6, and the winner was announced on Dec. 8. The magazine said that with more than 16% of the almost 5 million votes cast, Modi had won the reader’s poll.
The Historical Landmark !
“Narendra Modi”
” Person of the Year 2014 ”
@TIME Reader Poll
” नमो नाम नहीं आंदोलन है ” pic.twitter.com/oqn6LPROVn— dr parag (@ParagDr) December 9, 2014
Besides Modi, the Ferguson protesters in the US in solidarity with a black teenaged who was shot dead by police; Hong Kong protest leader Joshua Wong; winner of Nobel Peace Prize Malala Yousafzai and the doctors and nurses treating Ebola patients in west Africa, were among the top five in the reader’s poll.
However, as clearly stated on the magazine’s website, the choice of the winner rests with the editors. “But that doesn’t mean readers shouldn’t have their say,” TIME notes. Besides Modi, other top scorers in the reader polls, Wang and Yousafzai, were also dropped from the race to become the 2014 Person of the Year.
In all, 225 countries participated in the voting process. While the US accounted for most number of voters at 37%, India followed at 17%. “A strong showing of readers from India helped drive Modi’s first-place finish,” the magazine said.
Similarly, last year, Egypt’s General Abdul Fattah al-Sisi won after large number of readers from Egypt responded. Pope Francis, leader of the Catholic Church, however, won the title.
No explanations are expected or given by the TIME magazine.
That led to Modi’s detractors tweeting:
What? Time has not even shortlisted Modi inspite of Bhakts’ Bhakti! How unfair, hasn’t he mesmerised the world? http://t.co/xYtpRw8GKG
— Kunāl Majumder (@kunalmajumder) December 8, 2014
All the reporters are worried that #Modi couldn’t win #TIME person of the year title.
Are Baba
It’s TIME not TIMESNOW.
— Atul Agarwal (@YedaNo1) December 9, 2014
While his supporters are understandably displeased:
@nancygibbs Are you insulting 5 million votes of people
Where is modi?
Time is like a timepass??— SHIVAM (@smshelat7481) December 9, 2014
Modi is not TIME POTY. He won an online Readers poll, but not in Final 8 shortlist. Obv Taylor Swift had more of an impact last year.
— AV (@aditvenk) December 9, 2014
Removal of PM Modi’s name from @TIME #POY explain its influence outside Europe..had Modi visited there recently,his elimination wud be tuff.
— ||Āryāvarta|| (@Aryavarta_) December 9, 2014
TIME Managing director Nancy Gibbs will announce the winner of the 2014 Person of the Year on Dec. 10.
This article is a part of Quartz India. For more, follow this link.
Sorry, fans. Narendra Modi will not be on the TIME magazine cover
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