AGENCY
New York: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has won an online poll of readers’ choice for Time magazine’s ‘Person of the Year’ in 2016 honour. With 18% votes, PM Modi was far ahead of his closest contenders like US President-elect Donald Trump, the outgoing US leader Barack Obama and Julian Assange, who all received 7% votes each.
Of the others in the race, Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg got just 2% ‘yes’ votes while Hillary Clinton fared a little better at 4%.
Other contenders for the honour include British Prime Minister Theresa, Chinese President Xi Jinping, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, FBI Chief James Comey, Apple CEO Tim Cook, parents of slain Muslim-American soldier Humanyun Khan, Khizr and Ghazala Khan. In the third year as Prime Minister, Narendra Modi’s already high popularity in India and the NRI community has soared further after he took on the menace of corruption and black money by demonetising Rs 500 and Rs 1000 Indian currency notes.
A survey conducted on the Narendra Modi App had indicated that over 90% of all those who took part in the poll supported his move, despite the inconvenience being caused by the shortage of cash in the market.
Conducted every year by the TIME magazine, the ‘TIME Person of the Year’ is one of the most coveted honours in the world. The award is given to a person or a group of people who have had the largest global impact over the past 12 months.,2016 is the fourth year in a row when Modi is among the contenders for Time’s ‘Person of the Year’ honour. He had won the reader’s poll in 2014 as well.
While the reader’s poll provides an insight on the world sees the role of those nominated in world affairs, it will be TIME magazine’s editors who will decide the final Person of the Year.This year the final winner be announced on December 7; the editors may or may not concur with the view of the magazine’s readers.Last year, German Chancellor Angela Merkel was TIME’s ‘Person of the Year’. Other winners in recent years are Ebola Fighter (2014), Pope Francis (2013), Barack Obama (2012), The protestor, representing global movements like the Arab Spring, Tea Party Movement (2011), Mark Zuckerberg (2010), Ben Bernanke (2009), Barack Obama (2008) and Vadimir Putin (2007).
