Modi likes designer watches, pens

Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi, who was Friday anointed BJP's prime ministerial candidate, has a penchant for premium designer watches and fountain pens.

In the early 1990s, Modi was among the first ones to possess the latest model of a digital diary and "he practically never uses mobile phones after he became chief minister", wrote Nilanjan Mukhopadhyay in the book "Narendra Modi - The Man. The Times".

Modi has always been well groomed and wore good clothes from his early days.

"He buttons up his kurta tight till neck. He stands erect...to ensure that the chest comes out."

He always "liked the length of his sleeve to be a shade longer than his upper arm".

By 2004, "the Modi Kurta became a brand... Jade Blue apparently sells upward of 10,000 Modi kurtas every year", says the 409-page book.

Saffron is Modi's favourite colour and he "does not ever wear green".

Modi, who has been chief minister of Gujarat since 2001, takes great care of his voice and "never drinks cold water".

His aides say Modi carries a comb in his pocket.

"Modi has a weakness for designer fountain pens - Montblanc in particular...also likes to wear premium designer watches", the book says, and adds that his favourite brand is Movado, a Swiss luxury watch company.

He likes to eat 'khichdi' and prefers non-spicy food.

The BJP's prime ministerial candidate sleeps very less, just three and a half to four hours.

And in his spare time, he reads extensively on the internet and listens to music "Gujarati ghazals, but doesn't always find time for it".