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India decided against Hindu nationalism and authoritarian tendencies

Wednesday, June 5 2024 | 11:26

According to the predictions of many polls, Modi's victory should have been clearer. Prime Minister Narendra Modi's right-wing Hindu nationalist alliance is expected to win an outright majority. This will give him the opportunity to implement radical change without resistance, reports “CNN“. However, the election went differently than expected.

The target of 400 seats has clearly been missed

Despite targeting 400 seats in the lower house of Parliament, Modi and his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) did not win enough votes to form a majority. According to CNN, Modi will have to rely on new coalition partners to stay in power for the first time since he took office a decade ago.

Voters in the world's largest democracy partly rejected Modi's populist vision of a Hindu-dominated nation and reduced the BJP's seat tally by 63 seats. As a result, the party only won 240 seats, far below the 272 seats needed to gain a majority in parliament.

The opposition was stronger than expected

At the same time, opposition parties won 235 seats, while potential coalition partner BJP won 52 seats. The election results were seen as a humiliation for Modi, who even claimed to be sent by God. CNN quoted political scientist Pratap Bhanu Mehta, who wrote that the BJP's inability to gain an absolute majority was “the bursting of Modi's bubble of authority.”

Regardless of the election results, Modi remains India's most important political figure. He is the first leader since Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru to serve a third term. However, despite his popularity and achievements in economic growth and technological advancement, Modi will face challenges, especially in terms of persistent poverty, youth unemployment, and a growing gap between rich and poor.

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Modi's Hindu nationalism and authoritarianism are rejected by the majority

Criticism of Modi and the BJP has been particularly directed at increasing religious polarization and accusations of using state authority to suppress the opposition. Therefore, the election results can be interpreted as a clear signal against these practices and support the preservation of democratic instruments of control.