The Independent

Who is Narendra Modi? Polarising Indian leader on cusp of winning 2024 election

Source: Getty Images

A decade in power and seeking a third consecutive term as prime minister, Narendra Modi has said he “has big plans for India and no one needs be spooked by them”.

Coming from a leader who was once persona non-grata in the US and the UK for his suspected role in sectarian violence, the assurance betrays a climate of fear and uncertainty that Mr Modi’s leadership has engendered for sections of the Indian society.

It is this sense of fear and uncertainty that opposition parties and critics of Mr Modi are seeking to tap into as India prepares to vote in the national elections that start on 19 April and end with the declaration of results on 4 June.

They claim that India isas a result of Mr Modi’s “authoritarian tendencies” and the sectarian politics of his .

You’re reading a preview, subscribe to read more.

More from The Independent

The Independent3 min readWorld
Students Join Pro-Palestinian Encampment At University Of College London
Pro-Palestine protesters have set up camp outside University College London (UCL) in the latest action by activists outside universities across the country - as Prime Minister Rishi Sunak backed a police crackdown on any protest that became hostile o
The Independent2 min readInternational Relations
‘Heroic’ Palestinian Surgeon Dies In Israeli Prison After Months In Detention
A senior Palestinian doctor has died inside an Israeli prison after being held in detention for more than four months, a Palestinian prisoners’ association said. Adnan Al-Bursh was the head of orthopedics at Al Shifa Hospital – Gaza's largest medical
The Independent3 min read
Berkshire Hathaway Confident It Has Its Man To Take Over From Warren Buffett
Canadian businessman Greg Abel is the right man to take the Berkshire Hathaway reins from its legendary leader Warren Buffet, a board member told an event days before the company’s annual shareholders meeting. Longtime Berkshire board member Ron Ols

Related