LettersNarendra Modi’s mandate is clear and his supporters are more diverse than critics acknowledge
- The Indian prime minister has drawn support across caste, religion, age and gender
In 13 states, Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) gained more than 50 per cent of the vote share. Nationwide, the party and its allies took 45 per cent of the vote. Except for the south, the BJP and its allies largely swept the country.
Apart from the BJP’s core vote bank of middle-class and urban people, poorer and lower middle-class people and rural residents voted for the party in large numbers.
The party’s support among women and the youth is massive, much higher than other groups. It was said that the tribal people, who form about 8 per cent of India’s population, were upset with the BJP. However, the vast majority of them voted for the BJP or its allies, in some places like Assam by as much as 86 per cent.
Muslims did not vote for the party with the same enthusiasm. However, in states where the BJP has governed for a while, such as Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat, the BJP took 33 per cent and 25 per cent of the Muslim vote respectively, which is quite high. The proportion of Muslim women and youth placing their trust in Modi is much higher than other Muslim segments.