Indian PM Modi's cult-like status likely to win him third term in office, say experts
India will begin a six week-long election season from Friday (Apr 19).
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi displays a copy of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) election manifesto for the general election, in New Delhi, India, on Apr 14, 2024. (Photo: REUTERS/Adnan Abidi)
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NEW DELHI: India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi has built a personality cult that he is banking on to comfortably secure a rare third term in office, said experts.
India will begin a six-week-long election season from Friday (Apr 19).
If Mr Modi and his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) win this election, he will become only the second leader after India's first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru to secure three back-to-back terms.
MODI’S PERSONALITY CULT
Mr Modi remains popular in the country even after a decade in office, according to opinion polls, and is widely expected to return to power.
One survey puts his approval ratings at 78 per cent, higher than any other leader globally.
Experts said Mr Modi, who often reminds voters at rallies that he rose from the depths of poverty to serve the nation, has been successful in creating the perception of a strong and capable leader, something the opposition has not been able to do.
Professor Sumit Ganguly, visiting fellow at Stanford University's Hoover Institution, is not predicting a big win for the BJP, but said the party “will clearly come back with a working majority in parliament”.
“Short of a complete bolt from the blue, which I do not expect, I cannot visualise a scenario under which Modi loses,” he told CNA's Asia First on Thursday.
“The opposition was slow to get off the block … and they have not adequately worked out a clear-cut platform to oppose Modi and his ideas.”
First-time BJP candidate Praveen Khandelwal, who is contesting Delhi's Chandni Chowk seat, is hoping that Mr Modi’s star power will rub off on him during the campaign trail and help him win enough votes to get into parliament.
“Of course his popularity is a big factor impacting the polls, which is why I am sure we will win every seat in Delhi this time,” he said.
Across the nation, shops are hoping to cash in on the election fever, selling paraphernalia for various political parties from flags and caps to badges and t-shirts.
Mr Sanjay Kathuria, who runs an election merchandise store in Chandni Chowk, said items featuring Mr Modi are flying off the shelves.
“Modi merchandise is in high demand. He is very popular with customers,” he told CNA.
“That is because he is a strongman who can take on the entire opposition, while the opposition has had to come together to fight just one man.”
INDIA ON THE INTERNATIONAL STAGE
The BJP has said that during Mr Modi’s premiership, India has evolved on the global stage to become a force to be reckoned with by other world powers.
For many of his supporters, Mr Modi's appeal is his personality and how he has embraced his Hindu faith openly in the world’s most populous country.
They said he has raised the confidence of Indians as a people, and they believe the country's rise will depend on him staying in power.
“There is not a single thing that we don't like about Modi,” said one supporter. “The way he speaks, and when he goes abroad, the sort of respect he is shown, I feel like those world leaders are respecting me personally.”
Another supporter said: “Modi is a firm believer in the Hindu faith, and we all admire him for it. He is a very devoted and religious person. I think he is blessed by God and that is why he has such a resounding mandate.”
One supporter said India has been plagued by corruption and scandals for years, adding: “But since Modi came to power, he has promised us that he won't let anyone take bribes.”
However, Mr Modi’s crackdown on alleged corruption has led to accusations of him misusing state machinery to intimidate and arrest opposition leaders.
Rival parties have also claimed that the government is targeting only politicians from the opposition, a charge that the BJP denied.
Mr Modi's critics believe another five years in office could put India's democratic credentials further at risk, and make his rule even more authoritarian.
There are fears that dominance by the BJP could lead to unchecked power and authoritarian tendencies.
“Those concerns are entirely warranted because the BJP has demonstrated a propensity to dispense with certain historic norms of Indian democracy,” said Prof Ganguly.
“Above all, a democracy depends upon the concept of a loyal opposition and the remarks of a number of prominent BJP leaders suggest that they don't seem to abide by that principle.”
