'Modi's Aura of Invincibility Shattered': Foreign Media on Lok Sabha Results

Foreign media were mostly unanimous in stating that the election result was more of a loss than a win for the BJP.

"Suddenly, the aura of invincibility around Narendra Modi has been shattered," stated an article in The New York Times on Wednesday, 5 June.

(Photo: Aroop Mishra/The Quint)

While the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) seems poised to return to power for a third consecutive term, with wins in over 290 seats, the Narendra Modi-led Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) fell short of the majority mark of 272 – something that was widely reflected in foreign media coverage of the election results.

"Suddenly, the aura of invincibility around Narendra Modi has been shattered," stated an article in The New York Times on Wednesday, 5 June.

Putting PM Modi firmly at the centre of the BJP's campaign and holding him responsible for both the hits and the misses of the party, the article, titled 'Needing Help to Stay in Power, Modi Loses His Aura of Invincibility', stated:

"For Mr Modi, a generous reading of the outcome could be that only with his personal push could his party overcome its unpopularity at the local level and scrape by. Or it could be that his carefully cultivated brand has now peaked, and that he can no longer outrun the anti-incumbency sentiment that eventually catches up with almost any politician."

The New York Times

The New York Times, 5 June.

The Guardian was more direct in hitting out at the BJP juggernaut, headlining its article with: "Modi loses parliamentary majority in Indian election".

As the BJP will have to concede space to its coalition partners in order to maintain power for the next five years, the article cast aspersions on whether the NDA allies will go along with some of the saffron party's more contentious plans, such as its "Hindutva agenda".

"The BJP’s ability to continue with its more hardline Hindu nationalist policies could also be impeded as it is forced to rely on its coalition partners, some of which do not have the same Hindu-first agenda, and analysts said Modi could be forced to take a more pragmatic or consensus-based pathway in policy than ever before."

The Guardian

The Guardian, 4 June.

'Stunning Setback'

The Washington Post, meanwhile, highlighted a loss of enthusiasm on the part of the BJP cadre – who, they say, see the election result as more of a loss than a win.

"By midafternoon, BJP supporters who had milled around the party headquarters in Delhi expecting raucous celebrations with DJs as in previous years began to stream out early, only to be called back by party workers. Some party members put on a brave face and argued that a competitive election was a good thing," the article, titled 'Indian election delivers stunning setback to Modi and his party', stated.

The Washington Post, 4 June. 

The Pakistan-based Dawn newspaper stated in an editorial that the results indicate that the Indian electorate is more concerned about welfare issues like unemployment and inflation, and that the BJP's "nationalistic agenda" and "communal rhetoric" failed to capitalise on the ground.

"For the BJP, Muslim-baiting and communal rhetoric appear to have backfired, even in its political heartland or ‘Hindi belt’. Instead of praising the glory of a new Hindu rashtra, Indian voters were more concerned about pressing issues, such as jobs and the cost of living."

'A Sobering Election?', editorial in Dawn

Dawn, 5 June.

Analysing the way ahead for policymaking, the Qatar-based Al Jazeera stated in an article titled 'Modi-led BJP loses majority in big setback' that Modi will now have to play the "coalition game" – something that he is not used to.

"There will be challenges coming in the parliament. There will be bills that will have to be passed, and there is bound to be a great amount of compromise that he will have to make. In the past, when he had a brute majority, he would not be compromising. He (Modi) always projected himself as somebody very strong who will not compromise."

Al Jazeera

Al Jazeera, 5 June.

Meanwhile, analysing the possible reasons for a fall in BJP votes in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, an article in the BBC stated that the saffron party's slogan of "Ab ki baar, 400 paar" (This time, over 400 seats) triggered anxiety of a possible change in the Constitution.

"The BJP's significant drop in seats may be linked to joblessness, rising prices, growing inequality and a controversial army recruitment reform, among other things. Mr Modi's harsh and divisive campaign, particularly targeting Muslims, could also have alienated voters in some regions."

BBC

BBC, 5 June.

World Leaders Congratulate PM Modi Even as Coalition Talks Are Ongoing

Even while plans are allegedly afoot by the Opposition INDIA bloc to include the Chandrababu Naidu-led Telugu Desam Party and Nitish Kumar's Janata Dal (United) into its fold and thus put up a strong fight against the NDA, several world leaders congratulated PM Modi over the election win.

Maldives President Mohammed Muizzu said that he was looking forward to working with Modi to "advance our shared interests in pursuit of shared prosperity and stability for our two countries".

"Congratulations to Prime Minister @narendramodi, and the BJP and BJP-led NDA, on the success in the 2024 Indian General Election, for the third consecutive term. I look forward to working together to advance our shared interests in pursuit of shared prosperity and stability for our two countries," Muizzu said in a tweet.

Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe said that his country looks forward to "further strengthening the partnership with India".

"I extend my warmest felicitations to the @BJP4India led NDA on its victory, demonstrating the confidence of the Indian people in the progress and prosperity under the leadership of PM @narendramodi," he tweeted.

Similarly, Nepal PM Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda' hailed the "enthusiastic participation" of the people of India in completing the world's "largest democratic exercise".

"Congratulations to PM Narendra Modi on the electoral success of BJP and NDA in the Lok Sabha elections for the third consecutive term," he added.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, meanwhile, said that she looked forward to working with PM Modi to "consolidate cooperation on the various issues that bind us".

"Congratulations to @narendramodi on the new electoral victory and my warmest wishes for good work," she said in a tweet in Italian.