Third avatar: On a third term for Narendra Modi

Elected the leader of the National Democratic Alliance on June 7, Narendra Modi is set to become Prime Minister for a third consecutive term. Though the Bharatiya Janata Party fell short of a majority in the Lok Sabha, the NDA appears well poised for the third term, in terms of numbers and political compatibility among its partners. Telugu Desam Party leader N. Chandrababu Naidu, who is set to return as the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, and Bihar Chief Minister and Janata Dal leader Nitish Kumar — two partners as part of the pre-poll alliance that won the 2024 election and with the largest numbers after the BJP — showed no ambiguity in staying the course with the BJP. There was no numerical restraint during the second term for Mr. Modi, but during his third, his government’s survival will be dependent on non-BJP partners, necessitating compromises.