#2024 lok sabha election

[signode-blog]

Potential Impacts on India if Narendra Modi Loses the 2024 Lok Sabha Election: Stock Markets, Economy, and Growth

If Narendra Modi loses in the Lok Sabha election 2024, it would represent a significant political shift for India, potentially impacting the stock markets, economy, and overall growth trajectory of the country. Here’s a detailed analysis of the potential impacts: Stock Markets Immediate Market Reaction: Volatility and Uncertainty: The initial reaction of the stock markets is likely to be one…

[internationalnewz]

Arvind Kejriwal's Stance on Rahul Gandhi's PM Candidacy: What He Revealed

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal clarified his position amidst speculation surrounding his potential candidacy as Prime Minister if the Congress-led INDIA bloc triumphs in the Lok Sabha elections. Kejriwal refrained from commenting on Rahul Gandhi’s suitability as a prime ministerial candidate, emphasizing that such discussions had not occurred and that the INDIA bloc would decide after the election results.

Kejriwal highlighted the Aam Aadmi Party’s (AAP) limited presence in the elections, contesting only 22 seats, suggesting that his chances of becoming PM at this juncture are slim. “I don’t have any intention of becoming the next PM if the INDIA bloc wins,” he stated to news agency PTI. Kejriwal, currently on bail after his involvement in the liquor policy case, asserted his objective to safeguard the nation from what he described as a “dictatorship,” warning that opposition leaders would face incarceration if the BJP returns to power.

This isn’t the first instance Kejriwal has addressed inquiries regarding an INDIA PM candidate. Last week, during a press conference in Lucknow, he unequivocally stated, “No, I am not,” when asked about his potential candidacy in the event of an INDIA victory.

The INDIA coalition, established last June to unite opposition forces against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP’s bid for a third term, is contesting without a designated candidate for the top position. The BJP, meanwhile, continues to rally behind Modi’s leadership.

Home Minister Amit Shah, campaigning in Bengal’s Ghatal, criticized the opposition, alleging their failure to name a candidate reflects their lack of leadership. He accused them of seeking to perpetuate a “dynasty” and asserted that the opposition lacked a vision for the country’s development.

The BJP’s attack on the opposition extends to the Congress and the Gandhi family, with Prime Minister Modi recently targeting Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav with the “dynasty” accusation.

Congress MP Rahul Gandhi, perceived as the principal PM contender for the opposition, outlined the bloc’s strategy, emphasizing that the candidate would be chosen collectively after the election results. Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge echoed this sentiment, stating that the focus should be on winning the election before considering individual projections.

The selection of a PM candidate, according to Gandhi, will involve consultation among all INDIA constituents, emphasizing the coalition’s united approach to the electoral process.

[rightnewshindi]

चारों लोकसभा सीटों पर कांग्रेस से सुफड़ा होगा साफ, प्रतिभा सिंह भी नही बचा पाएंगी अपनी सीट; जानें क्या कहता है सर्वे

चारों लोकसभा सीटों पर कांग्रेस से सुफड़ा होगा साफ, प्रतिभा सिंह भी नही बचा पाएंगी अपनी सीट; जानें क्या कहता है सर्वे

Himachal News: हिमाचल प्रदेश की कांग्रेस सरकार में ‘सबकुछ ठीक’ नहीं नजर आ रहा है। दरअसल, कुछ दिनों पहले कांग्रेस के छह विधायकों ने बगावत कर दिया। उस दिन से ही बागियों और सीएम सुक्खू के बीच ‘शब्द बाण’ चल रहे हैं। ऐसे में लोकसभा चुनाव 2024 को लेकर एक ताजा सर्वे आया है। इस सर्वे में कांग्रेस को एक जोर का झटका लगा है। सर्वे के मुताबिक, राज्य में कांग्रेस की इकलौती सांसद और पूर्व मुख्यमंत्री वीरभद्र…

[reasonsforhope]

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is, by some measures, the most popular leader in the world. Prior to the 2024 election, his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) held an outright majority in the Lok Sabha (India’s Parliament) — one that was widely projected to grow after the vote count. The party regularly boasted that it would win 400 Lok Sabha seats, easily enough to amend India’s constitution along the party's preferred Hindu nationalist lines.

But when the results were announced on Tuesday, the BJP held just 240 seats. They not only underperformed expectations, they actually lost their parliamentary majority. While Modi will remain prime minister, he will do so at the helm of a coalition government — meaning that he will depend on other parties to stay in office, making it harder to continue his ongoing assault on Indian democracy.

So what happened? Why did Indian voters deal a devastating blow to a prime minister who, by all measures, they mostly seem to like?

India is a massive country — the most populous in the world — and one of the most diverse, making its internal politics exceedingly complicated. A definitive assessment of the election would require granular data on voter breakdown across caste, class, linguistic, religious, age, and gender divides. At present, those numbers don’t exist in sufficient detail. 

But after looking at the information that is available and speaking with several leading experts on Indian politics, there are at least three conclusions that I’m comfortable drawing.

First, voters punished Modi for putting his Hindu nationalist agenda ahead of fixing India’s unequal economy. Second, Indian voters had some real concerns about the decline of liberal democracy under BJP rule. Third, the opposition parties waged a smart campaign that took advantage of Modi’s vulnerabilities on the economy and democracy.

Understanding these factors isn’t just important for Indians. The country’s election has some universal lessons for how to beat a would-be authoritarian — ones that Americans especially might want to heed heading into its election in November.

-via Vox, June 7, 2024. Article continues below.

A new (and unequal) economy

Modi’s biggest and most surprising losses came in India’s two most populous states: Uttar Pradesh in the north and Maharashtra in the west. Both states had previously been BJP strongholds — places where the party’s core tactic of pitting the Hindu majority against the Muslim minority had seemingly cemented Hindu support for Modi and his allies.

One prominent Indian analyst, Yogendra Yadav, saw the cracks in advance. Swimming against the tide of Indian media, he correctly predicted that the BJP would fall short of a governing majority.

Traveling through the country, but especially rural Uttar Pradesh, he prophesied “the return of normal politics”: that Indian voters were no longer held spellbound by Modi’s charismatic nationalist appeals and were instead starting to worry about the way politics was affecting their lives.

Yadav’s conclusions derived in no small part from hearing voters’ concerns about the economy. The issue wasn’t GDP growth — India’s is the fastest-growing economy in the world — but rather the distribution of growth’s fruits. While some of Modi’s top allies struck it rich, many ordinary Indians suffered. Nearly half of all Indians between 20 and 24 are unemployed; Indian farmers have repeatedly protested Modi policies that they felt hurt their livelihoods.

“Everyone was talking about price rise, unemployment, the state of public services, the plight of farmers, [and] the struggles of labor,” Yadav wrote...

“We know for sure that Modi’s strongman image and brassy self-confidence were not as popular with voters as the BJP assumed,” says Sadanand Dhume, a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute who studies India. 

The lesson here isn’t that the pocketbook concerns trump identity-based appeals everywhere; recent evidence in wealthier democracies suggests the opposite is true. Rather, it’s that even entrenched reputations of populist leaders are not unshakeable. When they make errors, even some time ago, it’s possible to get voters to remember these mistakes and prioritize them over whatever culture war the populist is peddling at the moment.

Liberalism strikes back

The Indian constitution is a liberal document: It guarantees equality of all citizens and enshrines measures designed to enshrine said equality into law. The signature goal of Modi’s time in power has been to rip this liberal edifice down and replace it with a Hindu nationalist model that pushes non-Hindus to the social margins. In pursuit of this agenda, the BJP has concentrated power in Modi’s hands and undermined key pillars of Indian democracy (like a free press and independent judiciary).

Prior to the election, there was a sense that Indian voters either didn’t much care about the assault on liberal democracy or mostly agreed with it. But the BJP’s surprising underperformance suggests otherwise.

The Hindu, a leading Indian newspaper, published an essential post-election data analysis breaking down what we know about the results. One of the more striking findings is that the opposition parties surged in parliamentary seats reserved for members of “scheduled castes” — the legal term for Dalits, the lowest caste grouping in the Hindu hierarchy.

Caste has long been an essential cleavage in Indian politics, with Dalits typically favoring the left-wing Congress party over the BJP (long seen as an upper-caste party). Under Modi, the BJP had seemingly tamped down on the salience of class by elevating all Hindus — including Dalits — over Muslims. Yet now it’s looking like Dalits were flocking back to Congress and its allies. Why?

According to experts, Dalit voters feared the consequences of a BJP landslide. If Modi’s party achieved its 400-seat target, they’d have more than enough votes to amend India’s constitution. Since the constitution contains several protections designed to promote Dalit equality — including a first-in-the-world affirmative action system — that seemed like a serious threat to the community. It seems, at least based on preliminary data, that they voted accordingly.

The Dalit vote is but one example of the ways in which Modi’s brazen willingness to assail Indian institutions likely alienated voters.

Uttar Pradesh (UP), India’s largest and most electorally important state, was the site of a major BJP anti-Muslim campaign. It unofficially kicked off its campaign in the UP city of Ayodhya earlier this year, during a ceremony celebrating one of Modi’s crowning achievements: the construction of a Hindu temple on the site of a former mosque that had been torn down by Hindu nationalists in 1992. 

Yet not only did the BJP lose UP, it specifically lost the constituency — the city of Faizabad — in which the Ayodhya temple is located. It’s as direct an electoral rebuke to BJP ideology as one can imagine.

In Maharashtra, the second largest state, the BJP made a tactical alliance with a local politician, Ajit Pawar, facing serious corruption charges. Voters seemingly punished Modi’s party for turning a blind eye to Pawar’s offenses against the public trust. Across the country, Muslim voters turned out for the opposition to defend their rights against Modi’s attacks.

The global lesson here is clear: Even popular authoritarians can overreach.

By turning “400 seats” into a campaign slogan, an all-but-open signal that he intended to remake the Indian state in his illiberal image, Modi practically rang an alarm bell for constituencies worried about the consequences. So they turned out to stop him en masse.

The BJP’s electoral underperformance is, in no small part, the direct result of their leader’s zealotry going too far.

Return of the Gandhis? 

Of course, Modi’s mistakes might not have mattered had his rivals failed to capitalize. The Indian opposition, however, was far more effective than most observers anticipated.

Perhaps most importantly, the many opposition parties coordinated with each other. Forming a united bloc called INDIA (Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance), they worked to make sure they weren’t stealing votes from each other in critical constituencies, positioning INDIA coalition candidates to win straight fights against BJP rivals.

The leading party in the opposition bloc — Congress — was also more put together than people thought. Its most prominent leader, Rahul Gandhi, was widely dismissed as a dilettante nepo baby: a pale imitation of his father Rajiv and grandmother Indira, both former Congress prime ministers. Now his critics are rethinking things.

“I owe Rahul Gandhi an apology because I seriously underestimated him,” says Manjari Miller, a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations.

Miller singled out Gandhi’s yatras (marches) across India as a particularly canny tactic. These physically grueling voyages across the length and breadth of India showed that he wasn’t just a privileged son of Indian political royalty, but a politician willing to take risks and meet ordinary Indians where they were. During the yatras, he would meet directly with voters from marginalized groups and rail against Modi’s politics of hate.

“The persona he’s developed — as somebody kind, caring, inclusive, [and] resolute in the face of bullying — has really worked and captured the imagination of younger India,” says Suryanarayan. “If you’ve spent any time on Instagram Reels, [you’ll see] an entire generation now waking up to Rahul Gandhi’s very appealing videos.”

This, too, has a lesson for the rest of the world: Tactical innovation from the opposition matters even in an unfair electoral context.

There is no doubt that, in the past 10 years, the BJP stacked the political deck against its opponents. They consolidated control over large chunks of the national media, changed campaign finance law to favor themselves, suborned the famously independent Indian Electoral Commission, and even intimidated the Supreme Court into letting them get away with it. 

The opposition, though, managed to find ways to compete even under unfair circumstances. Strategic coordination between them helped consolidate resources and ameliorate the BJP cash advantage. Direct voter outreach like the yatra helped circumvent BJP dominance in the national media.

To be clear, the opposition still did not win a majority. Modi will have a third term in office, likely thanks in large part to the ways he rigged the system in his favor.

Yet there is no doubt that the opposition deserves to celebrate. Modi’s power has been constrained and the myth of his invincibility wounded, perhaps mortally. Indian voters, like those in Brazil and Poland before them, have dealt a major blow to their homegrown authoritarian faction.

And that is something worth celebrating.

-via Vox, June 7, 2024.

[incorrectmahabharatquotes]

Not people saying "disappointed in UP for making the people who brought Lord Ram home lose the elections". AREN'T YOU GUYS THE SAME PEOPLE WHO WERE CURSING ME ABOUT SAYING SOMETHING ABOUT THE RAM MANDIR BY SAYING THAT IT'S A MATTER OF FAITH AND NOT POLITICS? At least stick to your own arguments, lmao.

-Mod S

[kazuha-pista-badam]

(im)patiently waiting for the lok sabha results 🤞

[nando161mando]

US election season

[ajmal-v]

Understanding the Lok Sabha Elections: A Comprehensive Guide for Political Science Students

The Lok Sabha elections, a pivotal event in India’s democratic framework, offer a rich field of study for political science students. Since India’s independence in 1952, these elections have been a cornerstone of the country’s democratic process, shaping its political landscape and governance.

Key Stakeholders in the Lok Sabha Elections

The Lok Sabha elections involve a diverse range of stakeholders, each playing a crucial role in the electoral process. These include the Election Commission of India, which oversees the conduct of elections, and the political parties and candidates who vie for the electorate’s votes.

The voters themselves, the media, civil society organizations, security forces, and observers/international agencies also play significant roles. Each stakeholder has a unique part in shaping the election’s outcome and, by extension, the country’s political future.

The Lok Sabha Election Process

Understanding the Lok Sabha election process is fundamental to grasping the complexities of India’s democratic governance. The process involves several stages:

Electoral Constituencies: The country is divided into various electoral constituencies, each represented by a Member of Parliament.

Voter Registration: Eligible citizens are registered as voters.

Nomination of Candidates: Political parties or independent candidates file their nominations for the elections.

Campaigning: Candidates and parties campaign to win the electorate’s favor.

Voting: Registered voters cast their votes on Election Day.

Counting of Votes and Formation of Government: Votes are counted, and the party or alliance with the majority of seats forms the government.

Focus Areas for Political Science Students

Political science students studying the Lok Sabha elections should focus on several key areas to understand the complexities of democratic governance and political evolution. These include learning about electoral systems, political parties and alliances, election monitoring and reform, and voter behavior and participation.

By studying these areas, students can gain a comprehensive understanding of the Lok Sabha elections, equipping them with the knowledge to analyze and interpret the dynamics of India’s political landscape. To know more, read this blog

[triple--a--threat]

okay ive been avoiding election news as much as possible (failed because ppl cant shut the fuck up) but now its time to sit down and check whats been going on. and also listen to my very thoughtful political commentary

[narrativecradle]

Rural India's Wisdom Transcends Urban Arrogance

In a stunning rebuke to the polarizing politics of hate and division, rural India has emerged as the unlikely torchbearer of democracy and secular values in the recent general elections. The resounding defeat suffered by Narendra Modi’s Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) at the hands of the rural electorate serves as a potent reminder that true wisdom and foresight often reside in the most unassuming…

[chunavicharcha]

Live Results for Lok Sabha Elections 2024: कौन बनेगा अगला प्रधानमंत्री? PM हाउस पहुंचे नायडू और नीतीश

Results of Lok Sabha Election 2024 Live: पीएम हाउस पहुंचे चंद्रबाबू नायडू और पवन कल्याण एनडीए की बैठक में शामिल होने के लिए टीडीपी चीफ एन चंद्रबाबू नायडू और जनसेना पार्टी के अध्यक्ष पवन कल्याण भी पीएम हाउस पहुंच चुके हैं. Live Results for Lok Sabha Elections 2024: पीएम आवास पहुंचे नीतीश कुमार बिहार के सीएम नीतीश कुमार पीएम आवास पहुंचे. थोड़ी देर में एनडीऔ की बैदम शुरू होने वाली है. Results of the Lok Sabha Elections: एकनाथ शिंदे के बेटे श्रीकांत शिंदे ने चंद्रबबूू नायूड से की मुलाकात. एकनाथ शिंदे के बेटे श्रीकांत शिंदे ने चंद्रबाबू नायूड से मुलाकात की.आज शाम को होने वाली एनडीए की  बैठक में महाराष्ट्र के सीएम एकनाथ शिंदे भी पहुंचे हैं.

Lok Sabha Election Results 2024 Live: जनता ने किया पिछड़ा, दलित, अल्पसंख्यक की रणनीतिका समर्थन समाजवादी पार्टी प्रमुख अखिलेश यादव ने कहा, ''जनता ने पीडीए (पिछड़ा, दलित, अल्���संख्यक) की रणनीति और इंडिया गठबंधन का समर्थन किया है. हम एक रणनीति तैयार करने के लिए (बैठक में) जा रहे हैं." Results of the Lok Sabha Election 2024: सम्राट चौधरी बिहार के डिप्टी सीएम सम्राट चौधरी के रिजल्ट को लेकर कहा, "एनडीए ने पूरे कें 292 सीटें जीती हैं." नरेंद्र मोदी फिर से देश के प्रधानमंत्री बनेंगे." Results of Lok Sabha Elections 2024: राजनीति में उतार-चढ़ाव आते रहते हैं-मंत्री परिषद की बैठक बोले मोदी मंत्री परिषद की बैदक में नरेंद्र मोदी मे कहा कि राजनीति में उतार-ढढ़ाव आते रहते है. "हमारी सरकार ने अच्छा काम किया..." जीते हम हैं, लेकिन दूसरे दल वाले उछल रहे हैत. हम आगे और भी बेहतर करेंगे." Results of the 2024 Lok Sabha Elections: दिल्ली के लिए रवाना हुए अखिलेश यादव समाजवादी पार्टी के अध्यक्ष अखिलेश यादव दिल्ली में कांग्रेस अध्यक्ष मल्लिकार्जुन खरगे के आवास पर होने वाली मीटिंग में शामिल होने के लिए लखनऊ से रवाना हुआ. आज शाम को इंडिया गठबंधन की भी बैठक होने वाली है.

Results of Lok Sabha Election 2024: दिल्ली पहुंचे महाराष्ट्र के सीएम एकनाथ शिंदे एनडीए के बैठक में शामिल होने के लिए महाराष्ट्र के सीएम एकनाथ शिंदे दिल्ली पहुंचे.आज शाम को एनडीए की बैठक होने वाली है, जिसमें चिराग पासवान, नीतीश कुमार और चंद्रबाबू नायडू भी शामिल होंगे. Lok Sabha Election Results 2024: एनडीए की बैठक में शामिल होने दिल्ली पहुंचे चंद्रबुू नायडू टीपीपी चीफ एन चंद्रबाबू नायडू दिल्ली में  जयदेव गल्ला के आवास पर  पहुंचे. यहां वह एनडीए की बैठक में शामिल होने के लिए दिल्ली में हैं. ज सरकार बनाने को लेकर दिल्ली में एनडीए की बैठक होने वाली है. Lok Sabha Election Results 2024: महारा्ट्र के डिप्टी सीएम देवेंद्र फडणवीस ने की इस्तीफे के की  पेशकश महमाष्ट्म के पिप्टी सीएम देवेंद्र फडणवीस मे इस्तीफे की पेशकश की. उन्होंने कहा कि मैं महाराष्ट्र में हार की जिम्मेदारी लेता हूं. उन्होंने कहा कि वो पूरी तरह से विधानसभा चुनाव की तैयारियों में लगना चाहते हैं. PM पद से दिया इस्तीफा नरेंद्र मोदी ने Results of the Lok Sabha Elections 2024 Live: नरेंद्र मोदी ने प्रधाममंत्री पद से इस्तीफा दे दिया है. राष्ट्रपति के आधिकारिक एक्स हैंडल से ट्वीट कर कहा गया, "प्रधानमंत्री नरेंद्र मोदी ने राष्ट्रपति भवन में राष्ट्रपति द्रौपदी मुर्मू से मुलाकात की. प्रधानमंत्री ने केंद्रीय मंत्रिपरिषद के साथ अपना इस्तीफा दे दिया. राष्ट्रपति ने इस्तीफा स्वीकार कर लिया और प्रधानमंत्री और केंद्रीय मंत्रिपरिषद से नई सरकार बनने तक पद पर बने रहने का अनुरोध किया."

[tis-niki]

like i'm sorry modi lost AND i'm getting hamish back in litg? today has been amazing

[myasurl]

my mom was telling me off today for not applying for a voter ID to vote in these lok sabha elections but behenchod who tf am i supposed to vote for atp like??? I'm not wasting my vote on useless shits like NOTA or any rwinger, maybe get Allu Arjun to contest and i might consider voting for someone again.

[reasonsforhope]

"It was widely described as the week that India’s beleaguered democracy was pulled back from the brink. As the election results rolled in on Tuesday [June 4, 2024], all predictions and polls were defied as Narendra Modi lost his outright majority for the first time in a decade while the opposition re-emerged as a legitimate political force. On Sunday evening, Modi will be sworn in as prime minister yet many believe his power and mandate stands diminished.

For one opposition politician in particular, the humbling of the strongman prime minister was a moment to savour. Late last year, Mahua Moitra, one of the most outspoken critics of Modi and his Bharatiya Janata party (BJP), found herself unceremoniously expelled from parliament and kicked out of her bungalow, after what she described as a “political witch-hunt” for daring to stand up to Modi.

The murky and allegedly undemocratic circumstances of Moitra’s expulsion from parliament was seen by many to symbolise Modi’s approach to dissenting voices and the steady erosion of India’s democracy. She was among several vocal opposition politicians who were subjected to investigations by government crime agencies.

But having won a landslide re-election in her home state of West Bengal, Moitra will return once again to parliament, part of the newly empowered opposition coalition. “I can’t wait,” said Moitra. “They went to egregious lengths to discredit and destroy me and abused every process to do it. If I had gone down, it would have meant that brute force had triumphed over democracy.”

While he may be returning for a historic third term, many have portrayed the results as something of a defeat for Modi, who has had to rely on coalition partners to form a government. The BJP’s campaign had been solely centred around him – even the manifesto was titled “Modi’s guarantee” – and in many constituencies, local BJP candidates often played second fiddle to the prime minister, who loomed large over almost every seat. He told one interviewer he believed his mandate to rule was given directly by God.

“Modi’s aura was invincibility, that the BJP could not win elections without him,” said Moitra. “But the people of India didn’t give him a simple majority. They were voting against authoritarianism and they were voting against fascism. This was an overwhelming, resounding anti-Modi vote.”

During his past decade in power, Modi and the BJP enjoyed a powerful outright majority and oversaw an unprecedented concentration of power under the prime minister’s office, where key decisions were widely known to be made by a select few.

The Modi government was accused of imposing various authoritarian measures, including the harassment and arrest of critics under terrorism laws, while the country tumbled in global democracy and press freedom rankings. Modi never faced a press conference or any committee of accountability for the often divisive actions of his government. Politicians regularly complained that parliament was simply reduced to a rubber-stamping role for the BJP’s Hindu-first agenda.

Yet on Tuesday [June 40, it became clear that the more than 25 opposition parties, united as a coalition under the acronym INDIA, had inflicted substantial losses on the BJP to take away its simple majority. Analysts said the opposition’s performance was all the more remarkable given that the BJP stands accused of subverting and manipulating the election commission, as well as putting key opposition leaders behind bars and far outspending all other parties on its campaign. The BJP has denied any attempts to skew the election in its favour.

“This election proved that the voter is still the ultimate king,” said Moitra. “Modi was so shameless, yet despite them using every tool they had to engineer this election to their advantage, our democracy fought back.”

Moitra said she was confident it was “the end of Mr Modi’s autocratic way of ruling”. Several of the parties in the BJP’s alliance who he is relying on for a parliamentary majority and who will sit in Modi’s cabinet do not share his Hindu nationalist ideology...

Moitra was not alone in describing this week’s election as a reprieve for the troubling trajectory of India’s democracy. Columns heralding that the “mirror has cracked” and the “idea of India is reborn” were plastered across the country’s biggest newspapers, and editorials spoke of the end of “supremo syndrome”. “The bulldozer now has brakes,” wrote the Deccan Chronicle newspaper. “And once a bulldozer has brakes, it becomes just a lawnmower.” ...

“This was not a normal election, it was clearly an unfair and unlevel playing field,” said Yadav. “But still, there is now a hope and a possibility that the authoritarian element could be reversed.”

Harsh Mander, one of India’s most prominent human rights and peace activists who is facing numerous criminal investigations for his work, called the election the “most important in India’s post independence history”, adding: “The resilience of Indian democracy has proved to be spectacular.”

He said it was encouraging that an “intoxication of majoritarian hate politics” had not ultimately shaped the outcome, referring to Modi’s apparent attempts to stir up religious animosity on the campaign trail as he referred to Muslims as “infiltrators” and “those who have more children”.

“The past decade has seen the freedom of religion and the freedom of conscience and dissent taken away,” said Mander. “If this election had gone fully the BJP way, then India would not remain a constitutional secular democracy.”"

-via The Guardian, June 9, 2024

[incorrectmahabharatquotes]

I wanted to post a little today but Ayodhyavasis were collectively funnier than we could possibly ever hope be.

-Mod S