According to the micro-blogging site, the Indian Prime Minister's popularity "shows how Mr. Modi has been actively using Twitter to connect with the masses making the social media platform a powerful channel for communicating".

New Delhi (AsiaNews / Agencies) - The Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, is the third most followed world leader on Twitter, with 5.1 million followers. He is topped by U.S. president Barack Obama, with 43.9 million followers, and Pope Francis, with over 14 million.

Modi, as the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP, Hindu ultra-nationalists) candidate in the general election last May, was very active on the micro-blogging site ahead of the vote, and manages his account personally. This past May 16, the day his victory was announced, he gained over a million followers.

According to the microblogging site, his high ranking position "shows how Mr. Modi has been actively using Twitter to connect with the masses reinforcing the tool of digital diplomacy in a larger context making the social media platform a powerful channel for communicating and engaging with all Indians across the country".

The tweet (message in 140 characters, ed) with which Modi announced his election victory, "India has won!" remains the most retweeted tweet of all time from India.

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