Modi facing far stronger opposition than expected in GĖ: Analysts

Growing stridency in PM’s attacks against rivals, but BJP still confident of support

- Nirmala Ganapathy

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who seemed unassailable at the start of the country's general election (GE) in April, is facing far stiffer opposition than anticipated.

Mr Modi is still widely seen as the front runner in the democratic exercise.

But the growing stridency in the Prime Minister's attacks on the opposition and statements that seek to exacerbate the Hindu-Muslim divide have created the impression that his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is facing some challenges.

A slew of economic woes, such as rising prices and joblessness, have added to the BJP's discomfort.

This has put a question mark over the party's ambitious goal of winning 370-plus seats in the 543member Lower House of Parliament, known as the Lok Sabha.

India is now in the last two legs of the seven-phase GE, with all results due on June 4.

"I think what seems to be happening, starting in Phase 1, is that there is a lot of chatter about BJP being on the back foot and that has given this impression that the BJP is struggling to reach the majority mark," said Mr Rahul Verma, a fellow at the Centre for Policy Research.

"(But) the BJP remains in pole position in these elections. What we don't know is whether the BJP will be comfortably crossing the majority mark or staying around the majority mark." Unlike in the 2014 and 2019 general elections, the ruling party does not have an overarching narrative that helps it tie together multiple themes in this election.

In 2014, Mr Modi rode to power on a wave of support following a series of corruption scams that had engulfed the then Congress government.

In 2019, he swept back to power on the promise of muscular nationalism amid an outbreak of hostilities with Pakistan following a terror attack in which 40 soldiers of the Central Reserve Police Force were killed.