@Silverbug, just a few quick points-
1) In the current age, I don't see any political leader without flaws. The Congress party which claims to be secular, until recently was an ally of the MIM, the party which Akbaruddin Owaisi belongs too. Owaisi has had a history of making hate speeches against Hindus, but even more shocking is the fact that the MIM had sided with the Nizam and opposed the amalgamation of Hyderabad into India (if my information is correct). And it wasn't even the Congress who broke the alliance, it was the MIM!
2) The sad truth about India is that the only way that the BJP can defeat the Congress is if the BJP appoints Modi as its Prime Ministerial candidate. The reason being, Modi is seen as a figure who could cause extreme polarization of Hindu voters and get them out to vote. And let's accept the fact that no other party besides the BJP is in any position to challenge the Congress.
3) Advani has only fought elections on the basis of religion. Contrast that with Modi, who fought the recent election on the plank of development. Not only that, he was pitted against the Congress, Keshubhai Patel and even the RSS/VHP (not to mention the anti-incumbency factor). The fact that he still managed to win close to 2/3rds majority says a lot about how Gujarat sees him.