Modi Struggles to Stay on Top> 4 Takeaways From India’s Election

India’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is struggling to maintain its majority in the country’s parliament, according to exit polls released Sunday. The polls suggest that the BJP will win between 151 and 206 seats in the 543-seat Lok Sabha, the lower house of India’s parliament, falling short of the 272 seats needed for a majority. The BJP won 282 seats in the 2014 election.

The polls also suggest that the Indian National Congress (INC), the main opposition party, will win between 92 and 148 seats, up from 44 in 2014. The polls indicate that the INC will be the largest opposition party, but it will still be far from having enough seats to form a government.

Here are four takeaways from India’s election:

  1. The BJP’s popularity has waned: The BJP’s popularity has been on the decline since the 2014 election, as the party has been unable to deliver on its promises of economic growth and job creation. The party’s controversial policies, such as the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and the National Register of Citizens (NRC), have also alienated many voters, particularly in the northeast and Muslim-majority regions of the country.
  2. The INC has made a comeback: The INC, which was widely expected to lose the election, has made a strong comeback, thanks in part to the charismatic leadership of Rahul Gandhi, the party’s president. The INC has also benefited from the BJP’s unpopularity and has been able to capitalize on the discontent of farmers and the urban middle class.
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