• Modi ‘wins’ election but with no overall majority
• Independent parties are the biggest winners after Modi underwhelms.
India has concluded its general election, and despite a victory of sorts for incumbent Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the party failed to secure an overall majority in the lower house of the parliament, known as Lok Sabha. According to votes cast in Lok Sabha, there were almost 970 million registered voters of which approximately 640 million cast their votes.
Results in this election have been highly unexpected and have cast a shadow over Modi’s win, where polls originally suggested he was heading for a landslide election win. However, with BJP winning 240out of 543 seats in Lok Sabha – 63 seats less than last election, they fell short of the 272 seats needed to secure a majority government.
The opposition party, Indian National Congress (INC) secured 99 seats in Lok Sabha (47 more than their last election) however, the strength will lie with the other regional parties who could now carry some influence when forming any potential coalition government.
Modi Messes Up
Some critics suggest his aggressive stance and over-emphasis on Hindu nationalism and all-out Islamophobic onslaught might have cost him some of the centrist and moderate votes necessary to secure an overall majority. Others will feel that it was his need to suppress people’s right to choose a worthy candidate, who Modi didn’t feel threatened by.
Source: Modi uses inflammatory and Islamophobic comments to further his campaign.
Modi thought he had done enough by forming partnerships with opposition parties to reduce competition, or charge and imprison opposition candidates while dismantling the parties they represented from within.
Many biased critics viewed the outcome as unfavourable for Modi, who had campaigned vigorously for an overall majority. His personality and development record had won him a wide following across India.However, despite attempts to dictate the outcome of this election, it was still being touted across India as ‘The People vs Narendra Modi’.
What Now for BJP?
The inability to attain an overall majority in Lok Sabha has also raised concerns about India’s political stability. A coalition government – themost likely option for now – may find it challenging to coordinate policies and move quickly when circumstances demand it.
The outcome will now pressure the BJP to consider new strategies to ensure that future elections bring about better results across a broader electoral base. This may prove harder now for Modi, potentially alienating many voters with his bigoted and parochial vision.
The Rise of the Commoners
Indian National Congress Party conference referring to their performance and Modi’sattempts to corrupt the election results.
Unprecedented levels of voter participation; a skewed Indian election system; and the emergence of smaller parties as kingmakers all played prominent roles. Modi’s campaign strategy may not have factored in these variables, leading to this unexpected result.
The inability to achieve an overall majority indicates a shift in the Indian political landscape towards smaller parties with more nuanced policies.
Smaller parties might be able to influence policies by offering their support to either side or flipping loyalties through the term potentially shaping policies as they go.
It remains to be seen how a coalition government will work in India’s best interest, and whether smaller parties will keep their promises to BJP or INC during the next five years.
Ultimately, this was a high-stakes situation he could not afford to lose, and Modi did what he knew best; corruption, manipulation, intimidation and violence – right out of a Bollywood movie.
