Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has declared victory in the country’s elections and will secure a rare third consecutive term in office, but he’ll return a weakened leader after his Bharatiya Janata Party performed far below poll expectations. For the first time as prime minister, Modi will need to rely on coalition partners to govern, which will serve as a check on what had been an increasingly authoritarian governing style.
How will Modi approach his third term, and what will that mean for the world?
FP’s Ravi Agrawal was joined by two of the foremost experts on Indian politics, Milan Vaishnav and Yamini Aiyar, to analyze the results and their impact.
Video clips from this event
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After Prime Minister Narendra Modi failed to achieve an expected landslide in India’s national elections, Milan Vaishnav of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace explains that the BJP had a weaker messaging strategy than the opposition campaign.
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For the first time in his political history, Modi will have to rely on coalition allies to govern. Yamini Aiyar explores why “coalitions work in India” and details the challenges that will face Modi in achieving that same success.
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Vaishnav details the lessons that global leaders looking to defeat a populist can take from Modi’s underwhelming victory.
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India doubled down on its slide into illiberalism in the months leading up to the election, Aiyar says. But it backfired when voters expressed doubts about “the constant polarization and the constant authoritarianism.”
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Will Modi have to change his foreign policy now that he will be heading a coalition government? Vaishnav and Aiyar say it’s unlikely, detailing why India is in a geopolitical “sweet spot.”
