India, the world’s largest democratic nation, recently completed a marathon five week election cycle to determine the next prime minister of the country for the coming five years. The elections began on 7 April, and after nine phases of polling, the results were announced on 16 May. The two major competing alliances were the incumbent United Progressive Alliance led by the historical Indian National Congress, and the National Democratic Alliance led by the Bharatiya Janata Party. The NDA won the elections by an unprecedented margin, sweeping 336 of the total 543 seats, with the BJP alone gaining 282 seats, enough to rule without an alliance.
Elections in India are almost always a grand and sensational affair, with enough political drama and intrigue to put Game of Thrones characters to shame. Media portrayals of the event consist of allegations and counter-allegations flying like arrows from one political rival to the next, with everyone having their own opinions and estimations. The political scene in India is a unique one, having evolved to fit the varied demographic of this diverse nation. With there being twenty-eight states (roughly divided on the basis of language) and several religions and societal classes, identity politics plays a big role in India during elections. There are numerous regional parties that claim to cater to the needs of certain sections of population, whether it is religious minorities or ‘backward’ classes. This almost always results in the need for coalition governments, with various parties of otherwise differing ideologies needing to come together to create an alliance in order to form a government.
Enter Narendra Modi, the prime ministerial candidate for the BJP and the next prime minister of India. Modi served as the chief minister of the state of Gujarat for the past ten years as part of the BJP. With humble beginnings as a tea-seller, he quickly rose through the ranks to become an expert statesman, reforming the economy of Gujarat while simultaneously reducing corruption. While contesting for the national elections, Modi decided to put less emphasis on identity politics and more emphasis on uplifting the spirit of the nation and its people as a whole. He worked on the assumption that citizens were tired of hearing the standard spiel of divisive rhetoric so widely used by Indian politicians that more often than not equated to unfulfilled promises after they were voted into power.
Unfortunately, however, Modi has a controversial past. In 2002, during his first year as chief minister of Gujarat, the state witnessed a bloody communal riot between the Hindu and Muslim communities, which left more Muslims dead than Hindus, leading to allegations that Modi incited Hindu mobs to rally against and attack Muslims. The fact that the BJP follows a traditional ‘Hindutva’ ideology did not help. A special investigative team that was set up by the Supreme Court of India to investigate Modi’s involvement declared that he was innocent. Despite this, his political opponents never stopped accusing him, and the accusations only grew louder in these past few months. Instead of addressing these allegations, Modi decided to focus his attention on the faltering economy and the political system plagued by corruption. Using the development of Gujarat as an example, he campaigned all across India to convince people of his eligibility (he even addressed rallies via hologram, Tupac style!). While highbrow intellectuals on media channels both in India and across the world predicted his downfall and cried for people to boycott him, the jaded lower middle class of the country decided that they were tired of the current state of affairs, with scam after scam under the previous government only confirming their state of mind.
What makes the results of these elections so amazing is that Modi has managed to defy all odds and predictions, leading the BJP to an overwhelming majority never seen before in the history of Indian elections. The voters of India have proved that they have matured enough to be able to see past the ploys of identity politics, which has usually been the dominant factor in Indian elections. These elections might also spell the end of dynastic politics that is prevalent in most of the major political parties (including the BJP). With the promise of a stronger economy, a better livelihood for the common man and a new reason to be proud of the country, Modi is all set to bear the crown of leadership for (at least) the next five years. It is hoped that, unlike a majority of his predecessors and contemporaries, he well keep his promises.
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