Indian PM Modi suffers setback in crucial regional poll
November 8, 2015, 8:22 am

File Photo: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi [Image: Archives]

The Mahagathbandhan (Grand Alliance), which brought together local political parties as well as the main opposition party, the Indian National Congress, marched ahead of the BJP as votes were counted on Sunday in Bihar.

With votes still being counted, the anti-Modi alliance was ahead in 166 seats, compared with the BJP’s 69 seats, out of 243 where the trends were clear.

The Indian Prime Minister tweeted to congratulate his rival and leader of the Grand Alliance Nitish Kumar on Sunday.

Had a telephone conversation with Shri @nitishkumar & congratulated him on the victory.

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) November 8, 2015

The vote is widely being viewed as a referendum on Modi’s premiership. The results on Sunday also cast a shadow over the prospects of the ruling party in Delhi reaching towards stronger numbers in the upper house of the Indian Parliament that Modi needs to push through reforms.

His party is in a minority in the upper house, the Rajya Sabha.

Sunday’s results also signaled a wane in the absolute popularity of BJP leader Narendra Modi. In May 2014, Modi’s party had got overwhelming support in the state of Bihar.

Bihar is India’s third-largest state and home to 104 million people.

If Modi had stuck to 'Vikas' and 'parivartan' he would have won Bihar. He changed the subject and this is why he lost.

— Tavleen Singh (@tavleen_singh) November 8, 2015

Bihar results hold clear lesson for Modi govt: reform or perish. Incremental economic reforms won't do. 2019 looms

— Minhaz Merchant (@MinhazMerchant) November 8, 2015

Markandey Katju, a former judge of the Supreme Court of India, wrote in Indian website the Wire, that “Bihar turned out to be Modi’s Stalingrad“.

The Indian Prime Minister’s attempts to revamp the economy have been steady but slow.

The government earlier backtracked on a proposal to make it easier to acquire land for development projects, while failing to implement industry recommendations to trim a massive food subsidy bill.

The Modi government is also struggling to muster the support of lawmakers to pass a goods-and-services tax that would create a single market among India’s 1.2 billion people.

The Indian budget shortfall reached 68 per cent of the full-year target in the first six months, pressured by weak tax revenues, even as spending is due to rise on higher army pensions and a pay increase for state employees.

TBP