Election Shock: Modi’s BJP Fails to Secure Majority, British Indians Weigh In
British Indians across the UK have expressed surprise at the recent election results in India, with many hoping this will signal a shift in the country’s direction. Narendra Modi returned to power for a historic third term as prime minister, in an election that saw over 600 million Indians head to the polls – the largest democratic exercise in history.
Despite Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) failing to secure an outright majority, the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), led by the BJP, achieved a majority in India’s 543-seat Lok Sabha. This marks the first time Modi will govern the country in a coalition.
Umesh Sharma, chair of the Hindu Council UK, said the results were not surprising but proved pollsters wrong. Pleased with the high voter turnout of 66%, Sharma emphasized the importance of fair elections for national stability. He expressed hope that the coalition would promote a more collaborative approach to governance, avoiding the dangers of a single party wielding too much power.
Reflecting on Modi’s tenure, Sharma noted, “It is not one party with a big majority doing whatever they like, which is sometimes dangerous.”
Modi, who swept to power in 2014 on a platform of Hindu nationalism and development, has been praised by supporters for transforming India into an emerging global power. However, critics accuse him of eroding human rights, suppressing press freedom, and stoking religious tensions.
During the recent campaign, Modi faced accusations of hate speech, particularly against Muslims. Hasan Salim Patel, a British-Indian Muslim from Birmingham, expected a BJP landslide and found the rhetoric leading up to the election worrying. He remarked, “The results have shown that India has rejected this rhetoric from Modi and his people. Extremism, xenophobia, and hate towards minorities are not widely accepted norms.”
Dabinderjit Singh, principal adviser of the Sikh Federation, noted that the results in Punjab were significant for the Sikh community. However, he warned that if Modi’s government continues its previous policies, it will pose challenges not only for Indian minorities but also for the international community.
Aman, a 21-year-old from Harrow, north-west London, highlighted the diverse views within the British-Indian community regarding the election results. He pointed out that opinions vary widely among different Indian communities in the UK, reflecting India’s own diversity.
“For many BJP supporters, it was a victory that felt like a loss, while for Congress supporters, it was a loss that felt like a victory,” Aman observed.
These reactions underscore the complex and varied perspectives of British Indians on India’s political landscape, and the hope that Modi’s coalition government will adopt a more inclusive and collaborative approach moving forward.( Courtesy The Guardian)