India’s course correction

The shattering of the prospect of ‘one party state’ in India will give heart to those fighting for democratic rights everywhere.

The National Democratic Alliance, led by the Bharatiya Janata Party, has clinched a victory for the third consecutive term in the Indian parliamentary elections, paving the way for Prime Minister Narendra Modi to continue his hold on power. As the results poured in, Modi addressed the public in a televised speech in which he termed the NDA’s victory a “historic feat”. Modi also used the opportunity to list out what he called achievements of his 10-year stint as the prime minister—poverty alleviation, employment generation, economic growth, and so on. But his gait during the speech, and the spirit of the BJP leaders appearing on talk shows on television channels close to the BJP, suggested something was amiss.