At the beginning of the year, Narendra Modi kicked off his unofficial election campaign by delivering a speech from the impressive steps of a Hindu temple. He proclaimed that India was entering a “divine” era and a “new time cycle” was about to commence.
The inauguration of the Ram Mandir in January, situated on the site of a previously demolished mosque, was seen by analysts as a crucial and significant development in a long-term project. This project aimed to steer India away from its founding principles of secularism and pluralism, and towards a future as a Hindu nation.
However, on Tuesday night, Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) suffered a defeat, losing its seat in the town where the temple is located. This outcome has sent shockwaves throughout the country, as Hindu nationalism, a fiery ideology that has gained prominence during Modi’s leadership over the past decade, has become a central part of daily life.
However, the election results revealed that the BJP’s strong ideology was not enough to address the pressing local issues that many voters were concerned about, such as high unemployment and rising inflation.
Contrary to predictions from pundits and polls, the opposition performed much better than expected, winning seats even in BJP strongholds and challenging Modi’s perception of invincibility.
The INDIA alliance, a coalition of various political parties with diverse positions, secured 235 out of 543 seats in the lower house of Parliament. This prevented the BJP from achieving a supermajority and the mandate to implement drastic changes.
Rahul Gandhi, a prominent figure in the alliance and a lawmaker from the Indian National Congress, was previously mocked by Modi and dismissed by analysts as a weak and ineffective leader. However, this perception has now been shattered. Gandhi stated on Tuesday night that voters have clearly expressed their disapproval of Modi, declaring, “We do not want you.”
Despite the opposition’s loss, it felt like a victory for many. Narendra Modi will be serving a third consecutive term as India’s prime minister, making him only the second person to do so. However, he will have to rely on his coalition allies in a way he has never done before.
Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge stated to reporters on Wednesday, “The people’s mandate has given a fitting reply to the BJP and their politics of hate, corruption. This is a mandate in defense of the Constitution of India… and a mandate to save democracy.”
Although the BJP alone won more seats than the INDIA alliance combined, many critics argue that the playing field was not level. Indian activist Yogendra Yadav, speaking to local news channel India Today, said, “This was not a normal contest.”
Gandhi, a member of a prominent political family that has produced three prime ministers, was disqualified as a lawmaker last year and sentenced to two years in jail for defamation. Many of his supporters believe this ruling was influenced by political motives. However, Gandhi was later reinstated as a lawmaker after intervention from India’s Supreme Court and did not serve any time in prison.
Prior to the election, the Congress party accused the BJP of hindering their campaign efforts by freezing their accounts, which prevented them from accessing around $20 million in funds.
Additionally, Arvind Kejriwal, the chief minister of Delhi and leader of the Aam Aadmi Party, was arrested for alleged corruption. Although he was briefly released during the campaign, he is now back in jail.
Despite these events, the BJP has consistently denied any allegations of political bias.
Yadav stated that in this contest, power was tightly controlled by the BJP, who had more money and had the entire media acting as their spokesperson. He further added that considering this situation, winning 235 seats was actually a defeat, and there was no other way to describe it.
One notable example of the BJP’s disappointment can be seen in Uttar Pradesh, a state in northern India. With a population of over 200 million, it is the most populous state in the country and is located in the heart of the “Hindi belt” – a region where support for Modi is particularly strong due to the predominant Hindi-speaking population. Uttar Pradesh is currently governed by Yogi Adityanath, a former monk who is now a BJP politician. However, his Hindu-first policies have created divisions among people along religious lines.
On Tuesday, voters in India showed their support for the INDIA alliance by electing their candidates to 43 out of 80 seats, indicating a rejection of the populist Hindu-first vision. The BJP, which had previously held 62 seats, only managed to win 33 this time.
In Banswara, a city in Rajasthan, where Modi’s campaign took a divisive turn, voters were also unimpressed. Modi’s remarks accusing the Congress of wanting to distribute the country’s wealth among Muslims, referring to them as “infiltrators,” caused controversy. The BJP candidate in Banswara, a two-time incumbent lawmaker, lost to a candidate from a smaller regional party.
“The BJP’s Hindu agenda did not resonate as much as they anticipated. Other factors influenced the electorate,” stated T.V. Paul, a professor at McGill University.
According to Milan Vaishnav from the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, Modi failed to establish a clear overarching issue or narrative for the election, causing voters to focus more on local matters. Vaishnav stated, “In the absence of that, what we’ve got in a federal country like India is a series of state-by-state, local contests in which more mundane, parochial issues really matter.” Factors such as jobs, inflation, local leaders, incumbency, caste, ethnicity, and religion seemed to work against Modi and his party. As the election results were announced, the Congress party celebrated its gains, leading to scenes of jubilation at its headquarters in New Delhi. One supporter, Lakshman Valhekar, expressed his belief in Rahul Gandhi as the country’s only hope and stated that he had complete faith in the Congress party, while dismissing the BJP as being finished and out of the picture.
According to Paul from McGill University, the voting population has demonstrated their ability to challenge and resist authoritative systems imposed on them.
During a public gathering in New Delhi, Gandhi showcased a compact edition of India’s constitution. While holding the red and black book, he addressed the audience, stating that they have taken the initial and most significant action to protect it.
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