In the 1990s and early 2000s, Indian voters started voting in the national election as if they were choosing their chief minister. It changed in 2014 with the rise of Modi.
The jolt to the BJP’s politics is so severe that if and when the NDA government is formed, Modi will have to reset his image before he could resurrect the BJP.
Early trends showed PM Narendra Modi trailing Ajay Rai of the Congress in Varanasi. Reacting to the trends, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh wrote on X, 'This is what is called a trailer!'
The Congress just about improved its 2014 vote share of 5.39% to 7.96% in the 41 seats of eastern UP but its presence stopped SP-BSP from winning in 5 seats.
Finance ministry says the proposed revamp will focus on structural reforms, rate rationalisation & ease of living, & will be deliberated upon in the coming weeks.
The project is meant to be a ‘protective shield that will keep expanding’, the PM said. It is on the lines of the ‘Golden Dome’ announced by Trump, it is learnt.
Standing up to America is usually not a personal risk for a leader in India. Any suggestions of foreign pressure unites India behind who they see as leading them in that fight.
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