Modi remains popular but state-level setbacks will hurt

The BJP made Narendra Modi its face in this election, in the absence of a strong local face who could be projected as chief minister. Modi also addressed two rallies. But this was not an election where voters had to choose or reject Modi. Delhi had made that choice last May, when the BJP bagged over 50% of the vote share. It was an element of this very base that shifted to the AAP in the assembly election, for they decided to choose Arvind Kejriwal as CM. The fact that Kejriwal was careful not to attack the PM, and he made it not a contest between him and Modi but between him and the BJP’S Delhi unit meant that Modi was not the central issue in the election. This means that while the polls represent a setback, to read it as a rejection of Modi — or his policy approach of the last nine months — may be an error. The fact that the BJP did better than last time also shows that citizens continue to have a high degree of faith in the PM even when he is not directly in the battle. But Modi still has reason to worry. The worse-than-expected performance in Haryana, the loss of power in Maharashtra, the loss in Jharkhand polls, and now, the inability to challenge the AAP in Delhi, shows the BJP is losing its electoral touch at the state level. This will have implications for governance at the national level, for state governments are crucial in implementation of key schemes. So while Modi remains India’s most popular leader, his overall political challenge intensifies after Delhi.