India elections: Modi and his Hindu nationalist BJP have another five years in power. What does it mean for the world?
CNNCNN — Narendra Modi has raised India’s stature on the global stage like no other recent leader of the world’s most populous country. Paul, author of “The Unfinished Quest: India’s Search for Major Power Status from Nehru to Modi.” “This idea of India pushing its weight around may be much less feasible for the time being, given that foreign policy issues did not impact the decision as much as people had thought.” Modi walks with US President Joe Biden along the White House colonnade during his state visit to the US last year. “We can expect a more assertive India aligning closely with US interests in the Indo-Pacific and expanding tech cooperation.” Ties between New Delhi and Washington have warmed in recent years even as Modi has firmly pursued India’s policy of strategic autonomy to push for a global order not purely dominated by the US or the US-China rivalry – another goal expected to remain unchanged by the election. One factor to watch following Modi’s bruising election win, experts say, is whether the new government ramps up or tones down posturing that impacts India’s relations with its South Asian neighbors. Paul said democracy was “India’s biggest soft power tradition” and its perceived resurgence in the election may boost the country’s image among liberal nations.