BJP Politicians Warn West Should Not Find Comfort in India's Election Results
18:10 05.06.2024 (Updated: 19:25 05.06.2024)
© AP Photo / Channi Anand
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PM Modi's BJP has emerged as the single-largest party in India's Lok Sabha election, securing 240 of the 542 seats which went to vote. With backing from allies from NDA, Modi is expected to take oath as India's PM for a third term on 8 June.
The results of India's just concluded Lok Sabha elections are not in any way a comforting factor for the western non-state and state actors, despite western media reports describing the outcome as a "stunning setback" for Prime Minister Narendra Modi, politicians from Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) have told Sputnik India.
"Forces in the west, which include both non-state and the state actors, believe that they must mold India's political fortunes and India's democracy in a manner of their choosing. But the Modi government has rebuffed all these attempts systematically," remarked Swapan Dasgupta, a former Rajya Sabha MP and member of BJP's National Executive.
Dasgupta, a reputed political commentator, said that certain western actors have also attempted to "steer India's foreign policy in a direction which suits the region's interests rather than Indian interests".
Meanwhile, the comments came against the backdrop of western media reportages of India's election results that mark the first instance when Modi's BJP hasn't managed to secure an outright majority of its own since 2014. The Washington Post and Financial Times described Lok Sabha results as a "stunning setback" for PM Modi, while The Economist – as being humbling for the Indian leader.
'Western Joy Would be Short-Lived'
Former MP proclaimed that "nothing in the polls should give comfort" to western actors and that "The India First foreign policy will continue".
At the same time, joy in the western press over a reduced mandate for PM Modi would be "short-lived" as the NDA-led coalition would soon "stabilise", Dr Anant Bhagwat, the Founder-President of national security think tank Global Strategic Policy Foundation Pune (GSPFP), told Sputnik India.
The think-tanker cautioned the western entities that, contrary to their expectations, Modi 3.0 could possibly "double down" on its nationalist sentiment and become even more aggressive in pursuing India's states interests.
"India would continue to refrain from getting into any formal anti-China global coalition as the US has been wanting from us. However, India would also continue to bilaterally push China to restore normalcy at the Ladakh border and reduce reliance on Chinese imports. At the same time, India's oil purchases from Russia would continue and trade relations will continue to be strengthened in other domains, as per India's national interest," Bhagwat stated.
'Western Investors Need India and its Market'
Meantime, a Reuters columnist suggested that the Occident world should become more "transactional" in its dealings with India during Modi's third term. This argument was rejected by Dr Anirban Ganguly, a member of National Executive Committee, during the conversation with Sputnik India. He stated that India was the most feasible "democrative alternative" for western powers seeking to shift base from China as part of their global de-risking efforts.
"As far as investments from the West is concerned, it won't be dependent on a few columns and articles in western press. I believe India will continue to remain a preferred choice for foreign investors like it has in the last 10 years," he reckoned.
PM Modi vowed in his victory speech on Tuesday in New Delhi to undertake big-bang economic reforms during his third term to attract investments, develop India's manufacturing capacity and create jobs for India's youth, dispelling the notion that India's liberalisation efforts would be hampered under a coalition government.
'Modi has Strengthened India's Democratic Credentials'
Dr Ganguly, who also contested the election for the BJP from West Bengal, echoed Dasgupta's assessment regarding western media and asserted that despite the anti-Modi narrative in it Indians are aware of Prime Ministers contribution to the country's democracy.
"For over 20 years, the western media has been continuously biased against Prime Minister Modi by peddling a motivated narrative of democratic backsliding in the country as well as human rights concerns. However, PM Modi has no doubt strengthened India's democratic credentials. At a personal level, he has hugely enhanced his democratic credentials. He is a sentinel over India's democracy and India's constitution. I believe that the people of India clearly recognise that by now," commented Ganguly, who also chairs Dr Syama Prasad Mookerjee Research Foundation (SPMRF).
The experts noted that Modi expressed his gratitude to the Indian voters in the speech at the BJP headquarters in New Delhi on Tuesday evening after prospects of a third term became all but certain.
"Unlike the Indian opposition and section of western press, we never question the wisdom of the electorate. And it is because of the support of our voters that Prime Minister Modi has become the only Indian leader after Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru to secure a third term in power," the BJP politician-cum-think tanker said.
