In the last couple of years, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has become a meaningful player in the new multipolar reality of the world.
India became one of the few members of the space club when it landed, for the first time, a probe on the Moon’s south pole.
He flexed his geopolitical muscles both at the BRICS Summit in South Africa, and also as the G20 host.
Then, both Canada and, lately, the US have accused the Indian state of being behind assassination plots against Sikh separatists, that New Delhi considers ‘terrorists’.
As a result, the recent state-level elections were seen as a test of Modi’s leadership.
Elections in Madhya Pradesh, Mizoram, Rajasthan, Telangana, and Chhattisgarh states have frequently been described as the ‘semi-finals’ to the grand finale, which is the 2024 national election.