INDIA vs BJP: What Modi’s underperformance means for a resurgent opposition alliance
The mood is electric inside a packed Congress party headquarters in Delhi as activists and workers jostle to get a glimpse of Rahul Gandhi, who arrives at the podium with a red pocket-size edition of the Indian constitution in his hand.
He utilised this prop throughout the election campaign as he warned that a third straight Narendra Modi landslide would allow the Hindu nationalist BJP to rip up the country’s constitution and declare India a Hindu state.
The landslide never materialised, and Modi is now in the process of agreeing a coalition government that will force him to rely on allies for his majority, a limited mandate that could have far-reaching consequences for the next five years.
