THE return of Narendra Modi as prime minister for a third term was foretold, but many doubted a landslide victory for his party. While they may be correct, he is still on the verge of winning his third consecutive term. Apparently, this time the BJP has also made some inroads in the south.

Voting ended on June 1 in India’s seven-stage elections, the longest and largest in the country’s history, that began in mid-April with almost a billion eligible people casting their votes across the country. The BJP-led coalition was challenged by the rival INDIA group, an alliance of disparate political parties led by Congress, in the contest for 543 seats. The opposition alliance has made significant gains, despite the BJP’s ultra-nationalist narrative.

Had Modi and his allies managed a two-thirds majority, it would have allowed the prime minister to bring some fundamental changes to the constitution, undermining India’s secular structure. In any case, a record third term would have serious implications not only for Indian democracy but also for regional geopolitics.

It is a personal triumph for the strongman prime minister whose Hindu nationalist politics have reshaped India’s secular democracy. No prime minister since Jawaharlal Nehru, India’s first premier, has won three consecutive terms. Modi’s last two terms brought the world’s most populous nation close to authoritarianism.

His election campaign pivoted around anti-Muslim and anti-Pakistan rhetoric. He vowed to establish a Hindu state, shedding India’s long-standing secular identity, and his tenor against Pakistan turned extremely belligerent. A third term........

© Dawn