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PoliticsIndia

How Narendra Modi transformed India's image and politics

Shalu Yadav | Sharique Ahmad
April 22, 2024

Narendra Modi looks set to become the first prime minister since Jawaharlal Nehru to win three consecutive terms as India's prime minister, sporting one of the highest approval ratings among world leaders. His conservative nationalism has resonated at home, and he has transformed India into an appealing global partner for world powers like the United States.

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As voters in India head to the polls in the nation's general elections, few doubt that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will win a third consecutive time. He would be the first to do so since Jawaharlal Nehru, the country's first prime minister.

With one of the highest approval ratings among world leaders, Modi's Hindu nationalist movement has redefined Indian politics and society. The newly consecrated Ram Temple in Ayodhya, built on the ruins of a mosque Hindu nationalists tore down in 1992, was a perfect encapsulation of this shift — a moment of triumph for his base and a concerning sight for India's Muslim minority. 

Abroad, Modi has enjoyed state dinners with world leaders who herald him as a champion of shared democratic values. Under Modi's leadership,India has become the world's fastest-growing economy with huge potential for foreign investment and is seen as an important counterweight to China.