WHAT do the results of the 2024 Indian general elections portend? I am not referring to who will win but by how many seats. Let us accept, for the time being, that it is Narendra Modi's ruling BJP, which has a clear lead after the first three phases of voting. But what is not equally certain is with what margin of victory and with how many seats. More and more, it seems that the dream of Chaarsau Paar or 400plus will be difficult to manage. Even crossing the earlier watershed of 303 is now, according to many, uncertain.
Why? Because, as several analysts have observed, this is a much more of a waveless than wavy election. At least so far. Even the recently released working paper on "Share of Religious Minorities: A Cross-Country Analysis (1950-2015)" by the Economic Advisory Council of the Prime Minister (EACPM), though timed to perfection right in the middle of the election season, many not actually have the Pulwama effect. Despite the rising shrillness of the antiMuslim rhetoric of ruling party campaigners, including Modi himself.
"It's the economy, stupid"-former American president Bill Clinton's famous apothegm notwithstanding, the Muslim question will continue to be a focal point in Indian elections. It is not that Surjit Bhalla's latest book How We Vote: The Factors That Influence Voters (2024) gets it wrong. Yes. People do vote with their pocketbooks. In India, where many have neither wallets nor pockets, they do vote for the party or the leader who directly impacts and improves their daily lives.
This story is from the May 13, 2024 edition of The Morning Standard.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the May 13, 2024 edition of The Morning Standard.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Organ racket: Donors have not received post-operative care, reveals probe
STARTLING revelations have emerged from the investigation into the international human trafficking racket for organ harvesting recently busted in Kochi. It has come to light that several donors coerced into donating their organs by the racket have not received the necessary post-operative care.
Compensation still unpaid, misery continues for kin of firecracker mishap victims
M Mahalakshmi (18) was devastated when she heard that her mother was injured after an explosion at a firecracker unit in Sengamalapatti on May 9. Mahalakshmi's mother, M Malliga (34) suffered 45% percent burns in the mishap, which claimed 10 lives and injured 14 workers.
Cambodia human trafficking racket: 2 more agents arrested in Visakhapatnam
VISAKHAPATNAM Police have arrested two more agents involved in the human trafficking racket, in which unemployed youth were lured with lucrative job opportunities in Chinese companies in countries like Cambodia, Myanmar, and Thailand.
Odisha police arrests BJP leader for damaging EVM
Police arrested BJP leader Prasanta Kumar Jagadev for allegedly damaging an electronic voting machine (EVM) and manhandling polling officers at a booth in Bolagarh during the third phase elections on Saturday.
9 die as rain wreaks havoc in T'gana
IMD forecast says dry weather, with rise in temperature, will prevail in the upcoming days
It's high time Naveen should retire from politics: Pradhan
UNION Minister Dharmendra Pradhan called on the people of Odisha to make a decisive change and replace the BJD government. Speaking at a campaign rally in Satabhaya village, Suliapada block, within the Morada constituency of Mayurbhanj district on Sunday, Pradhan criticised the BJD Government for its lack of vision and alleged corruption.
Getting rape, death threats, claims Maliwal; calls out one-sided’ video
AAP Rajya Sabha MP Swati Maliwal has reportedly received rape and death threats amid the ongoing row with her party over an alleged assault by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's aide, Bibhav Kumar. Maliwal also criticised YouTuber Dhruv Rathee for releasing a \"one-sided video\" against her, claiming it escalated threats.
DELHI HAS VOTED; AND, DELHI HAS LOST
DELHI has voted. Data says Delhi has not voted as aggressively as in 2014 or even 2019. The question is, has Delhi voted differently from the previous polls just in numbers or in spirit too. One should try and find an answer.
RAMPANT VIOLATIONS, LAME EXCUSES
NO fire certificate, NO extinguishers, NO emergency exit, licence expired Unqualified docs that’s city’s shame
WOW KOLKATA! STARC CONTRAST IN HAPPY TIDINGS
Thanks to clinical bowling show against SRH at Chepauk in final, KKR clinch 3rd IPL title
