Election 2019: What Does A Second Modi Term Mean For India?

If exit polls are to be believed, Narendra Modi will be re-elected as the Prime Minister. But what would Modi's second term mean for India?

The Bhartiya Janata Party recently faced criticism for fielding Malegaon blast accused and right-wing leader Sadhvi Pragya Thakur from Bhopal. The Election Commission even barred her from campaign trail for her remarks on former anti-terrorism squad chief Hemant Karkare, and Babri mosque demolition.

This shows that there's a problem with the party leadership, according to Sadanand Dhume, resident fellow at American Enterprise Institute. Even Yogi Adityanath's appointment as chief minister of Uttar Pradesh showed that the BJP lacks collective operating wisdom, he told BloombergQuint during an interview.

“The ruling elite, Narendra Modi and Amit Shah, have no sense of judgement, and it seems there is nobody who can point out to them that this is going too far and destabilising for India,” Dhume said.

Not only that, James Crabtree, associate professor at LKY School of Public Policy, said there's a sense among Indian liberals that if Modi is re-elected there might be a liberal apocalypse like in Russia or Turkey. But he himself thinks that may not be the scenario.

“I don't think that is quite right. I think you are more likely to see a continuation of the first term of Modi. That doesn't mean this will be a good outlook for India's liberal traditions, but it also doesn't necessarily mean that a collapse of the multi-cultural idea of India is imminent.”

The BJP's star campaigners, including party president Amit Shah, had used divisive language during the poll trail. Shah even promised to wipe out migrants from the Northeast.

Does that mean Hindu nationalism will become more pronounced?

Senior journalist Tony Joseph said the 2014 mandate was for development and that was Modi's campaign pitch back then. The 2019 election was not fought on the idea of “Acche Din” but on divisive politics, he said.

“If they come back with good numbers then it will be clear that this is not a mandate on development and the party will move faster towards the objectives of Hindutva but if they have to depend on allies then we will see a slightly sober dilution of our democratic liberal environment.”

Watch the full discussion here: