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Narendra Modi’s third-term victory defied global anti-establishment trends and reflected India’s stability amid international political turmoil.
PM Modi’s leadership ensured India’s continued growth as a global power driven by reforms and innovation. (Image: PTI file)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s historic third victory in the 2024 elections not only cements his personal legacy but also reflects the dominance of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Indian politics. This shows that today PM Modi has become a symbol of stability for India while BJP has emerged as a synonym for good governance.
In 2024, a global wave of anti-incumbency swept across major democracies, with incumbents suffering significant defeats. In the United States, the Democrats lost the presidency and control of both houses of Congress. Britain saw the Conservative Party (Tories) decisively voted out of power. Similarly, ruling parties in France, South Korea and Poland were also voted out of power. Contrary to this global trend, in India Narendra Modi not only retained power but did so with a historic third term. Following his clear victories in 2014 and 2019, Indian voters once again gave a strong mandate to Modi, a notable exception to the international anti-incumbency wave.
The year 2024 saw some of the biggest victories of the BJP under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. PM Modi achieved a historic third term. This achievement is significant in the political history of India, as no other leader has won a third consecutive term since 1962.
Stable leadership in an unstable world
Since 2014, India has stood as a symbol of political stability under the leadership of Narendra Modi, who has remained in power for more than a decade. This continuity is remarkable, especially when compared to the political unrest experienced by other democracies during the same period.
Modi’s tenure has been marked by a united government that has implemented far-reaching economic, social and foreign policy initiatives, contributing to India’s emergence as a global power.
In contrast, the United States has seen a series of dramatic political changes. Since Barack Obama served as president until 2017, the reins have passed to Donald Trump, who has introduced radically different policies and a more isolationist stance. In 2021, Joe Biden reversed many of Trump’s key policies, emphasizing multilateralism and domestic investment. Donald Trump’s return to power has brought about another pivot in governance, reflecting deep partisan divisions and policy instability.
The United Kingdom has faced significant political instability since 2014. Under the Conservative Party, leadership changed frequently, with David Cameron resigning after the Brexit referendum, followed by Theresa May, who was struggling with Brexit negotiations. Boris Johnson then took power, leading through the COVID-19 pandemic but ultimately resigning amid scandals. Liz Truss’s brief and tumultuous tenure was followed by Rishi Sunak, who tried to stabilize the economy and the party. Recently, Keir Starmer of the Labor Party became Prime Minister, leading to a change in governance, although challenges remain, including internal party disagreements and an electorate tired of political conflict.
Australia has also seen rapid changes in leadership, reflecting its historically unstable political culture. Beginning with Tony Abbott in 2014, the prime ministership went to Malcolm Turnbull, then Scott Morrison, and now Anthony Albanese. Each transition has brought a shift in priorities, with Albanese focusing on climate action and social policies following a more conservative approach under his predecessors.
Italy’s political landscape has been equally dynamic, with successive governments often falling before completing their terms. Matteo Renzi’s reform-driven tenure gave way to Paolo Gentiloni, followed by the coalition government of Giuseppe Conte, the technocratic leadership of Mario Draghi and now Giorgia Meloni, Italy’s first female prime minister. Despite Meloni’s historic victory, Italy continues to struggle with political fragmentation and economic challenges.
Pakistan, in particular, is an example of political instability, where patterns of frequent leadership changes often lead to allegations of corruption and electoral fraud. Since 2014, the country has seen a change from Nawaz Sharif to Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, then Imran Khan and now Shahbaz Sharif. Each leader’s tenure has been marked by contentious relations with their predecessors, often culminating in legal battles and imprisonment. This unstable political environment has hindered Pakistan’s ability to achieve sustained governance and economic progress.
Israel in particular has experienced significant political unrest due to its fragmented coalition system. Since 2014, the country has seen Benjamin Netanyahu lose power to Naftali Bennett, followed by a brief tenure of Yair Lapid, after which Netanyahu returned as prime minister. Since 2014, Israel has held six national elections for the Knesset, the country’s parliament. These elections were held in 2015, April 2019, September 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022.
While Japan is known for relative political stability, its leadership changes in recent years have raised eyebrows. Shinzo Abe, who served as Prime Minister until 2020, unexpectedly resigned due to health reasons. He was replaced by Yoshihide Suga, who stepped down after just one year in office, and Fumio Kishida who was prime minister for just 3 years amid great uncertainty and has now been replaced by Shigeru Ishiba.
Since 2014, Brazil has faced political turmoil driven by an economic crisis, corruption scandals, and polarized elections. Dilma Rousseff was impeached in 2016, clearing the way for Michel Temer, who served a controversial term. After this, Jair Bolsonaro came to power adopting a far-right populist stance. Recently, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva returned to office after a polarizing election.
In South Korea, Park Geun-hye was impeached in 2017 amid allegations of massive corruption. His successor, Moon Jae-in, continued to grapple with economic challenges and diplomatic tensions. Yoon Suk-yeol is the current President, having recently declared martial law a failure and is in the process of being impeached by the Parliament of South Korea.
Argentina has seen notable changes since 2014, with leadership shifting from Cristina Fernández de Kirchner to Mauricio Macri, then Alberto Fernández, and now Javier Miley. Each leader has adopted markedly different economic and social policies, contributing to a landscape of uncertainty and frequent political realignment.
What makes the Indian General Elections 2024 historic?
- The 2024 elections showcased India as a resilient democracy, marked by strong voter participation and civic conduct.
- Despite induced attacks on EVMs and extreme heat, people showed great enthusiasm by voting in large numbers. From first-time voters to senior citizens, people of all ages and from all walks of life have participated in the democratic process with great enthusiasm.
- Kashmir recorded the highest voter participation of 38% for the first time in last 3 decades since 1996.
- Indian politics saw greater inclusivity as more women contested and won elections, thereby strengthening gender representation. There was also a significant increase in youth participation, bringing new perspectives to the country’s political landscape.
- The 2024 elections demonstrated India’s democratic maturity, highlighting how citizens are increasingly aware of their priorities and expectations from their leaders. People stood firmly behind the dream of a developed India by 2047.
- For the first time, the largest group of international delegates experienced India’s general elections first-hand this year. He was impressed by what he saw. Some praised the transparency of the process, while others found the Election Commission’s initiatives like green polling stations truly inspiring. The use of technology like randomization of EVM-VVPAT was also highly appreciated.
- The mandate was for development, diversity and decisiveness. People have completely rejected the politics of deceit, fraud and division.
- India has demonstrated that it is a mature democracy and has placed PM Modi among the select group of global leaders who have successfully achieved three consecutive terms in office.
Furthermore, the state-level successes in 2024 also revealed that they are part of a broader shift in India’s political landscape that began in 2014. Under the leadership of PM Modi, BJP has expanded its influence, bringing harmonious governance to regions like Odisha, Andhra. Pradesh and Maharashtra – areas where the BJP had struggled to gain a foothold in the past.
Let’s look at some of the decisive victories of BJP in the year 2024 and what makes them unique:
Lord Jagannath’s Odisha goes on saffron path
Under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi, BJP achieved a historic victory by defeating the ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) in Odisha. For the first time in the history of Odisha, BJD has lost its dominance in the Lok Sabha elections, with BJP’s seats increasing from just 1 to 6. This marks a significant change from 2019, where BJD had won 12 seats and BJP 8. Apart from its success in the Lok Sabha elections, the BJP also made significant progress in the Odisha Assembly elections. The party won 14 seats and is leading in 66 other constituencies.
Andhra Pradesh decisively chose NDA
In the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, despite Andhra Pradesh’s strong regional political identity, the National Democratic Alliance made significant progress, gaining leads in 20 out of 25 parliamentary constituencies. This remarkable achievement reflects the growing support for the NDA’s vision and policies. PM Modi’s leadership has been crucial to this success, with his focus on infrastructure development, economic reforms and social welfare programs appealing to voters across the state.
Haryana is a surprise for BJP
The 2024 Haryana Assembly election results have marked an important milestone for the Bharatiya Janata Party, as it has secured a historic third consecutive term in office. BJP has become the first political party in Haryana to achieve this hat-trick, which is a testimony to its growing influence and stronghold in the state. Despite facing stiff opposition from the Congress and other political parties, the BJP managed to effectively defeat the Congress in a direct contest by securing 48 seats. The opposition, despite its best efforts, could not match the scale and momentum brought by the BJP.
Maharashtra’s landslide victory shuts down opposition agenda
In a historic victory, the Bharatiya Janata Party secured its third consecutive term in Maharashtra, the first time that a leader has led the state to such a victory. The BJP along with its allies including the NCP won over 131 seats, while the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) was left with just 51 seats. The ruling alliance secured a lead in more than 230 seats, indicating the strong confidence of the people in the leadership of Prime Minister Modi. With 132 seats out of 288, the BJP achieved its best ever performance in the state, securing 45% seat share. The win is the largest seat share for any party in the Maharashtra assembly elections, cementing the BJP’s dominance and effectively shutting down the opposition’s agenda in the state.
