India Votes!

Vishakha Desai unpacks India's recent election and its consequences.

Like everything else about India, its democracy is complicated. Recent parliamentary elections—more than 640 million people voted (roughly two-thirds of eligible voters)—produced a contradictory, confusing outcome. On the one hand, Prime Minister Narendra Modi's BJP party won a plurality, giving him a historic third term. On the other hand, the BJP lost its majority and required coalition partners to maintain control. The political opposition, including much-maligned Rahul Gandhi and Congress, won a new life as a serious political force.

So, which is it? Did Modi, denigrated by some as a Trump-like autocrat, win or lose? Did the majority of Indian voters reject the Hindu nationalism that has been his trademark? Was this election about Modi, about religious extremism, about economics, or about something totally different? Is India more or less stable, more or less predictable?

It’s India, so definitive answers are elusive. But our guest today on New Thinking for a New World, can surely point us in the right direction. Vishakha Desai is a widely respected Asian scholar focused on art, culture, policy, and women's rights. Born in India and living in the United States, Vishakha moves seamlessly between the two countries and the two cultures. Listen as she explains the elections and their consequences—and then tell us what you think.