India’s Modi seen unstoppable after state polls sweep

India’s opposition faces a “herculean task” in next year’s general elections against Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which wrested control of key states in a surprisingly strong showing in local polls. The defeat of Congress in all three heartland states, which was announced on Sunday, dashed any notion that the opposition could pose a serious challenge through a newly formed 28-party alliance led by the party that has ruled India for 54 years since independence from Britain, analysts and politicians said. It also showcased the organisational strength of the BJP and the appeal of Modi’s presidential-style campaigning, even though he was not on the ticket, just five months before national elections in which he will seek a third term in office. “After these results, it looks like there is no stopping Modi,” said Yashwant Deshmukh, poll expert with C-Voter agency, adding that stopping Modi would be a “herculean task”. The BJP won the regional votes in three of four major states, including central Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh which were ruled by Congress. Modi swept to power in 2014 on a pitch for stability and growth from what he described as the corruption and poor governance of Congress. He remains popular and surveys show he is the favourite to win the 2024 election. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has worked hard to revive the party in recent years. He led a 135-day march across the country, changed the party’s leadership and pushed to form the 28-party alliance called INDIA, wooing voters with payouts. “We need to go back to the drawing board and seriously assess what really went wrong, why we were not able to get the confidence of people,” senior Congress lawmaker Manish Tewari told Reuters. “You need a programme which will enthuse people, which will be seen as an alternative,” he said.londonGBDESK//