BACK WITH A BANG

THE BJP HAS RECOVERED ELECTORALLY AND WOULD WIN A MAJORITY ON ITS OWN AFTER THE SETBACK IN THE 2024 GENERAL ELECTION. BUT THE ECONOMY CONTINUES TO BE A CAUSE OF WORRY FOR THE MODI GOVERNMENT

- RAJ CHENGAPPA

Resilience. Originating from a Latin root, the word once described the quality of materials to resist deformation under stress. In later years, psychologists and sociologists came to apply the concept to characterise individuals who could cope better with adversity than others or had the special ability to bounce back from difficult challenges, stress or trauma. It is a word that aptly sums up Prime Minister Narendra Modi's rare ability to withstand setbacks and grow even stronger, as has been evident in the recent past.

In the 2024 Lok Sabha election, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) led by Modi received a rude shock when it won only 240 out of 543 seats, which was 32 short of the 272 seats needed for a simple majority to form a government on its own. But along with its National Democratic Alliance (NDA) partners, the overall tally of 293 allowed them to coast to a third consecutive term at the Centre. For Modi, however, who had pitched for a win of more than 350 seats for his party, about 50 more than the 303 it secured in the 2019 general election, the outcome was a setback. The Congress-led Opposition alliance, the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA), took 234 seats, and for a while it seemed the BJP would become hostage to the compulsions of coalition politics.