Narendra Modi has returned to power with an enhanced mandate, making him the most powerful Indian politician since Indira Gandhi. His victory in 2019 is based on a record turnout. It also shows a rising consolidation of Hindu votes, something the caste cleavages of Hindu society had earlier made virtually impossible. But this victory has come at a steep price. As Modi and turnouts are rising, India’s liberal freedoms are declining, and the Muslim community, India’s largest minority, is feeling truly besieged. The contradiction between electoral resilience and liberal deficits is becoming sharper and all too obvious.
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