LESSONS from the Bihar elections have domestic implications, and they will be studied in the neighbourhood. The call to war Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave from the poll-bound state in April in response to terror killings in distant Pahalgam, was seen as aimed at producing a favourable electoral outcome in last week’s poll verdict. In case the war cry, followed by a four-day flare-up with Pakistan, did help in the stupendous verdict, would the victory for Modi’s ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in Bihar fuel more tensions on the border or would they abate now that the run-in with Pakistan had served its electoral purpose. Or would success in Bihar prompt repetition in crucial West Bengal polls next year?
The narrative from Modi supporters and his rivals is that one or two previous military events did help the prime minister electorally.
Continue Reading on Dawn
This preview shows approximately 15% of the article. Read the full story on the publisher's website to support quality journalism.