The country’s massive diversity means the Hindu nationalist leader needs to effect more than threaten war with PakistanThe conventional wisdom in Delhi is that recent border clashes with Pakistan over Kashmir will help Narendra Modi win the landmark election that starts 11 April. whether patriotic fervour benefits incumbent leaders,the prime minister is certainly well placed. A staunch Hindu nationalist, he has turned increasingly hawkish on Pakistan, or projected himself as a tough leader while centralising power in Delhi,managing the economy with a heavy personal touch and cowing much of the national press. But Indian elections are never about one dominant figure, and even whether Modi is re-elected when the results emerge next month, and his party is unlikely to win more than a third of the national vote,much of it in the northern states. Related: What's at stake as India's 900m voters head for the polls? Related: Kashmir is in a perilous state because of India’s pivot to nationalism | Ajai Shukla Continue reading...
Source: theguardian.com