Opinion: Indian voters are looking for an excuse to back Modi. They may have found one.
Supporters of the Bharatiya Janata Party carry posters of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. By Milan Vaishnav April 1 at 1:03 PM Milan Vaishnav is senior fellow and director of the South Asia Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. He is also host of “Grand Tamasha,” a weekly podcast on Indian politics.
While recent tensions between India and Pakistan are one reason for this change, there is a deeper rationale at play. Despite the government’s many foibles, from the inability to address the rising tide of rural distress to the disastrous consequences of demonetization, there is a simple truth animating public opinion: All told, most voters like Modi. A lot.
Therefore, if this were an election determined solely by economic fundamentals, the incumbent would be on the ropes. Yet most opinion surveys indicate that the BJP-led alliance will fall just shy of an outright majority, requiring a handful of additional allies to form the government. Only Modi’s enduring personal popularity can explain this disjuncture. The ordinary voter still views Modi as a compelling leader who is personally incorruptible.
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