The battle for 2019 is pregnant with possibilities. But who will be Modi’s principal opponent is no less intriguing.
GENERAL elections, the political spectacle that arguably overshadows every other event in India, may still be a year away, but the country seems to have caught the poll fever already. A spate of elections— from Karnataka to Kairana—has nudged public discourse towards what could be in store for us in the parliamentary polls scheduled for mid 2019. Elections being the flavour of the season, political pundits are on overdrive and holding forth on what to expect. Modi hawa, the wave that swept the BJP stalwart to power in 2014, we are told, has considerably ebbed. In its place, many talking heads say, are festering pockets of disquiet that are apparently dragging down the prime minister’s popularity. Petrol prices heading north, rising farmers’ distress, a gnawing sense of insecurity among minorities and increasing restiveness among Dalits and other marginal sections of the society are reportedly working against Modi and his NDA government.
This story is from the June 18, 2018 edition of Outlook.
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This story is from the June 18, 2018 edition of Outlook.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
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