Age: 61
Occupation: Chief Minister of Gujarat, India
As a recent TIME International cover story reported, Modi is the most polarizing figure in Indian politics. Hailed by his supporters as a pro-business man of action — an uncommon figure in a country constantly criticized for its bureaucracy — Modi is in the running to be India's next Prime Minister. But he remains associated with the ugly legacy of the 2002 Gujarat riots, where, under his watch, thousands died in an anti-Muslim pogrom.