THAT Modi would win his third term was never in doubt. However, contrary to expectations, he did not achieve the landslide he was hoping for. Why has ‘Modi ki guarantee’ (a boastful commitment to people’s welfare) not delivered the two-thirds majority to which he aspired? Several reasons are being cited: high unemployment rates, rising inflation, and the incumbency factor. The opposition projected Modi as a fascist in the making. His intense anti-Muslim rhetoric scared away not only Muslim voters, whom he called ‘ghusbathiay’ or infiltrators, but also liberal Indians attached to India’s secular and pluralistic ethos. Losing the seat housing the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya is a case in point.
Yet, with 240 seats, the BJP is the largest party in Lok Sabha, way ahead of the Indian National Congress, which secured 99 seats. With its coalition partners, the BJP is assured of a third consecutive term led by Modi. This has become possible because of several notable achievements, mostly in the economic field. Under his watch, India became the fifth largest economy, compared to the 10th when he took over the reins of power 10 years ago. GDP has grown by 162 per cent, average income by 135pc, and foreign exchange reserves by 113pc to $620 billion. There has been a surge in internet usage, while digital transactions have grown by 358pc to $95bn. A series of initiatives were launched to make India a manufacturing hub. Modi’s government added 50,000 kilometres of national highways (a 60pc increase since 2014) and 31,000 km of rail networks, with plans to start bullet trains. Thirty million houses have been built for the poor.