DefinePK

Abstract

The pyrrhic victory of Narendra Modi and his assumption of office as the Prime Minister of India for the third time reflects how vulnerable the BJP will be while in power. Why Narendra Modi failed to achieve a simple majority in the 2024 general elections needs to be examined from a pragmatic perspective.Depriving BJP of securing a two-thirds majority in Lok Sabha tends to salvage India from further polarisation which was witnessed when Modi remained in power for 10 years with a two-thirds majority and implemented the most controversial acts like revoking the autonomy of the Indian-administered Kashmir, building the Ram temple in Ayodhya, and implementing the citizenship law.Implementing laws tightening regulations on interfaith marriages were also implemented in many BJP-run states. Modi’s assertion during his election campaign against religious minorities and Pakistan failed to yield positive results as the majority of Indian voters refused to adhere to such rhetoric. India is the only eastern neighbour of Pakistan and issues influencing the country are bound to have implications on Islamabad, particularly when the track record of the Modi regime has been hostile towards its neighbour. As compared to the 2014 and 2019 elections when Pakistan was projected as a major so-called actor involved in alleged cross-border terrorism, during the 2024 elections,despite BJP’s efforts to malign Pakistan, Indian voters by and large, overlooked Modi’s rhetoric against Islamabad.