NHSF (UK) PR Team

Quite rightly dubbed as one of the most monumental elections of our time, India has staged the largest democratic exercise in human history. With just over 551 million votes were cast (a record 66.38% turnout), of which 168 million (20% of the total electorate) were first time voters, this was a contest to find the person to lead a young, vibrant, and confident India. 300 billion rupees were spent on the election,which, over a period of nine dates spread across five weeks, from the north down to the south of the country was a phenomenal endeavour. This was facilitated by over 919,000 polling stations, 10 million officials working on the campaigns, and a series of flying squads aimed to stamp out bribery and corruption during the elections. India’s National Democratic Alliance, a coalition led by the Bharatiya Janata Party, has taken a clear parliamentary majority in India’s national elections which were held over the past nine weeks to determine the 543 occupants of the next Lok Sabha — the lower house of India’s bicameral parliament. The NDA looks set to win 337 seats, marking the largest parliamentary majority held by a party since Rajiv Gandhi’s Congress in 1984. The BJP alone appears to have won 282 seats, well in excess of the 272 mark needed to hold a majority in parliament.

Narendra Modi has come to power on the back of a tidal wave of support from voters of all backgrounds. He has positioned himself as someone who understands the plight of ordinary Indians, yet has a vision for a modern India. With his exceptional charisma, his team’s innovative media and campaign strategy, and tireless campaigning, which covered 5800 locations, there is little surprise that the BJP have won with a thumping victory. However, the task for Prime Minster Modi will now be a challenging one. The elections have had a major impact not just on policy but also on the nation’s growth, which has been overlooked in recent years. He has renewed an ‘Obama-esque’ sense of hope through his ‘better days ahead’ slogan, yet the scale of Modi’s challenge is enormous and expectation perhaps even greater. He must now address the pertinent issues of the day of rising inflation, lagging productivity, the need to rethink urbanization policy along with attracting greater investment and creating a better climate for business and politics. In addition, the Prime Minister’s pledge to nurture the Indian economy by investing in its people and improving welfare in the most affected areas is an extremely positive one. The National Hindu Students Forum (UK) congratulate the new Prime Minister taking office and trusts in his promise to truly show India for the rich culture and heritage that it harbours; whilst also protecting the values, interests and rights of each individual living in the country.

In Modi’s words “India has won” and we have full faith in this statement.

Bharat Mata Ki Jai.