Modi Wants To Dominate India's Election. One Region Stands In the Way
A national vote starts on Friday and Prime Minister Narendra Modi is widely expected to win a third term. But victory is far from assured in southern India.
Supporters hold up a sign in Tamil at a campaign rally with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu on April 10.
Photographer: Dhiraj Singh/BloombergUnder the scorching afternoon sun, a helicopter ferrying Prime Minister Narendra Modi touched down last week in territory that’s long resisted his reign. Outside the southern city of Coimbatore, India’s premier ascended a stage for an election rally that drew thousands of spectators.
India’s national vote kicks off on Friday and Modi is widely expected to win a historic third term after a potential billion ballots are cast. Yet in southern India, victory is far from assured. For years, the governing Bharatiya Janata Party has struggled to make inroads in one of India’s richest and most developed regions.