Narendra Modi: from tea-seller to India's leader

STORY: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi often says he likes to think big, dream big and act big.

"I invite everyone to participate in 'Make in India'."

The 73-year-old looks set to be only the second Indian to win three national elections in a row.

“This election is really about one thing. It’s about Modi, Modi, Modi."

But how did Modi get in this position?

Let's take a closer look.

Narendra Damodardas Modi was born in 1950 in the ancient city of Vadnagar in present-day Gujarat.

As a young boy, he sold tea at a railway station, while his mother washed dishes to make ends meet.

He has not shied away from using his modest upbringing to build a following in a country where hundreds of millions people are poor.

Modi joined the Bharatiya Janata Party, BJP, in 1987, when the nascent political party started gaining traction fueled by the rise of Hindu nationalism in India.

In 2001, Modi became chief minister of his native Gujarat state.

"This is a victory of the pride of Gujarat. This victory is associated with the dreams of 50 million Gujaratis."

A year later, deadly religious riots broke out across Gujarat.

At least 1,000 people, mainly Muslims, were killed.

Critics allege Modi allowed or even actively encouraged the attacks, an allegation he strongly denies.

A subsequent Supreme Court inquiry found no evidence to prosecute him.

Modi became the prime minister of India in 2014, after the BJP won the general election by a landslide.

Modi and the BJP party have consistently wooed the Hindu community, who form 80% of the country's 1.42 billion people.

His approval rating is 75%, the highest among 25 world leaders tracked by U.S. data intelligence company Morning Consult.

But the United States has raised concerns over the treatment of Muslims, underprivileged Hindus, Christians and other religious minorities in India under his rule.

Modi says his government works for the welfare of all without discriminating.

If he wins the 2024 general election, it may be his last term in office.

"In my third term, I guarantee that I will make India the world's third largest economy."

He wants to cement a legacy of setting India on the path to abolishing poverty and becoming a fully developed nation by 2047, the 100th year of independence from British colonial rule.

Australia-based academic Robin Jeffrey specializes in Indian politics:

"I think if the BJP government and primarily Mr. Modi win the kind of heavy majority they're talking about: 400 seats in a parliament of 540, overwhelming, that would be, then we're going to see major changes. We'll see constitutional changes that will really transform the face of India, Indian politics will be very different in the future if those sorts of changes take place."

The opposition says another term for Modi could severely damage India's secular and democratic traditions, arguing his Hindu nationalist agenda has polarized the country.

Rahul Gandhi is leader of the opposition Congress party:

"If the BJP wins these match-fixing elections and changes the constitution, then the whole country will be on fire."