India’s election, with over 600 million voters, was the largest in democratic history. Although Narendra Modi appeared to secure a third term as India’s leader, his party lost its majority in parliament. During the election campaign, he claimed his party would win 400 seats, but they failed to achieve even a simple majority of 272 seats. To form a government, Modi will need to rely on coalition partners who do not share his Hindu-nationalist agenda. This could lead to challenges in governing smoothly and potential deadlocks in implementing policies.

Modi’s victory may also pose challenges for India’s diverse population. Before the election, he expressed intentions to amend the Indian Constitution. With his renewed mandate, he might pursue these changes, potentially aiming to establish a Hindu state. This could involve constitutional amendments and initiatives to convert followers of other religions to Hinduism. Such moves could alarm minority communities, who fear marginalization and the erosion of their rights.

For Pakistan, Modi’s victory could mean a challenge, as no improvement in relations is expected. While people in Pakistan hope for positive relations, believing that Nawaz Sharif and Modi have good ties, this seems unlikely given Modi’s campaign rhetoric targeting Muslims and Pakistan. This approach may have helped him gain the trust of Indian voters, but it damaged his reputation among India’s minorities. This third term could be damaging for the minorities of India, neighboring countries, and the Muslims of Kashmir as it was before. Modi will not show any good gestures as a leader as he only thinks of Hindu nationalism and nothing else matters to him.

QURRAT UL NISA CHOUDHURY,

Rawalakot AJK.