India’s general elections, which will be spread over multiple weeks, kick off on Friday with voting in 102 of the country’s 543 constituencies. The outcome of this mammoth exercise is not really in doubt. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has maintained, if not increased, his favorability ratings since he last won re-election in 2019. Such enduring popularity, in an age when most democratically elected leaders are struggling, can appear mystifying.

The standard “pocketbook” argument clearly doesn’t explain Modi’s success. While India’s economy might be posting impressive growth numbers, employment and wages haven’t kept up. Government data shows that, for the past decade, Indians’ average monthly real earnings have either declined or remained stagnant. Almost half the workforce is still paid below the government-mandated minimum wage. This implies that too few Indians have benefited from Modi’s policies for economic reasons alone to account for his popularity.

QOSHE - Biden Could Learn One Thing From Modi - Mihir Sharma
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Biden Could Learn One Thing From Modi

5 1
19.04.2024

India’s general elections, which will be spread over multiple weeks, kick off on Friday with voting in 102 of the country’s 543 constituencies. The outcome of this mammoth exercise is not really in doubt. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has........

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