On Sunday, the highly anticipated results from five state assembly elections across India were announced. These results come at a time of great uncertainty in India as the country is in the throes of a devastating second wave of the coronavirus, which is racking up nearly 400,000 new cases every day. 

To help make sense of these elections and how they fit into the broader Indian political landscape, this week on the show Milan speaks with veteran journalist Aditi Phadnis, political editor at the Business Standard. Aditi and Milan discuss the reasons behind Mamata Banerjee’s decisive victory in West Bengal, the Left’s historic showing in Kerala, the BJP’s win in Assam, and the DMK’s comeback in Tamil Nadu. Plus, the two discuss the implications of this election for Indian federalism, governance, and the popularity of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.  

Episode notes: 

1. Milan Vaishnav, “Will voters hold Modi to account for India’s covid-19 crisis? Don’t bet on it,” Washington Post
2. Neelanjan Sircar, “The Bengal model to counter the BJP,” Hindustan Times
3. Aditi Phadnis, “It's BJP again in Assam, but who will be the next chief minister?” Business Standard
4. Aditi Phadnis, “Going gets tougher for Modi govt as election results favour Opposition,” Business Standard
5. Aditi Phadnis, “Mamata Banerjee's wheelchair stops the BJP juggernaut in West Bengal,” Business Standard
6. Aditi Phadnis, “National politics set to change as Mamata Banerjee keeps West Bengal,” Business Standard