- 16 May 2014 20:35
#14407485
Is there a breakdown by state anywhere, Fuser? I would be interested in the results in, for example, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, and Nagaland.
There is a benefit to this sweeping BJP victory beyond Congress being completely discredited (which in my view is a major leap forward in post-independence Indian politics even if the BJP proves no better or worse), which is that now the BJP has a full mandate and authority and credibility rests on its shoulders. If it doesn't deliver, it too will be seen as no more of a real alternative by Hindu nationalists and leftists alike, and this will only increase the legitimacy of a third rival front in future elections.
My point is basically that I find the BJP's economic portfolio under Modi very troubling. I would still have likely voted with them as I find encouragement in their social and cultural policy and stated Hindu outlook, and because I don't believe the Indian National Congress deserves to occupy the space it has for an unjustified amount of time over the past several decades. More excited than I am for what the BJP will potentially try to do or not do, is the idea of moving the ball further along - Congress has been discredited. Now the BJP can either perform or be discredited. What does "perform" mean? The country is the second most populous on Earth and as with anywhere else, a wide range of diverse interests and political positions exist, but I believe a "populist" platform that would draw in a strong nationwide majority would increase Indian development while standing for economic sovereignty, actually deliver this result to the large rural population, assert the Indian regional position in the region while avoiding an overly bellicose path, and preach and practice support for the maintenance of India's cultural and religious tradition and its adaptation to the modern age.
"I am never guided by a possible assessment of my work" - President Vladimir Putin
"Nations whose nationalism is destroyed are subject to ruin." - Muammar Qaddafi