Comment on “Halting India’s ‘Crisis of Democracy’: An Explanation of Modi’s Third-Term Prospects” [in Japanese]
On June 29, 2024, a comment of Professor Maiko Ichihara of the Graduate School of Law on the Asahi Shimbun article, “Halting India’s ‘Crisis of Democracy’: An Explanation of Modi’s Third-Term Prospects” was published. This article discusses the state of Indian democracy and the background behind the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), led by Prime Minister Modi, winning the general election but failing to secure an outright majority. Professor Ichihara pointed out that it is premature to conclude that this election result has halted India’s democratic crisis. First, voter behavior was primarily driven by issues related to daily life, and it remains unclear to what extent there was an intention to stop the decline of democracy. Second, it is uncertain how much the election result will serve to prevent democratic backsliding, and further developments will need to be observed.
