Prime Minister Narendra Modi's speech in Rajasthan's Banswara will be remembered as one of the most controversial addresses in India's electoral history. He is alleged to have referred to Muslims as "infiltrators" and "those who have more children", insinuating that the Congress is planning to distribute people's resources to them.

It is for the Election Commission to assess whether such statements breach the model code of conduct, and for posterity to judge the appropriateness of such rhetoric from a Prime Minister. However, there is little doubt that with just one statement, the Prime Minister has significantly shifted the tone of the elections. The attack was so severe that the Congress found itself stunned and unsure of how to respond. Analysts speculate that low voter turnout may have unsettled the Prime Minister, leading him to alter the narrative.

The statement in Banswara should be considered alongside his earlier criticism of the Congress, where he likened its manifesto to that of the Muslim League under Jinnah in 1935. This remark was made even before the commencement of polling.

It seems evident that the Prime Minister has recognised that despite the inauguration of the Ram Mandir and the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) claims of securing 370 seats, Hindu voters are not as enthusiastic about the BJP's performance over the last decade, and a degree of anti-incumbency has set in. As a savvy politician, he has deduced that amidst increasing opposition scrutiny of his government, it would be challenging for his party to garner votes solely on the basis of developmental claims. His concerns are compounded by surveys indicating that people........

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