Who is Narendra Modi? Polarising Indian leader on cusp of winning 2024 election [Video]

A decade in power and seeking a third consecutive term as prime minister, Narendra Modi has said he “has big plans for India and no one needs be spooked by them”.

Coming from a leader who was once persona non-grata in the US and the UK for his suspected role in sectarian violence, the assurance betrays a climate of fear and uncertainty that Mr Modi’s leadership has engendered for sections of the Indian society.

It is this sense of fear and uncertainty that opposition parties and critics of Mr Modi are seeking to tap into as India prepares to vote in the national elections that start on 19 April and end with the declaration of results on 4 June.

They claim that India is sliding “towards dictatorship” as a result of Mr Modi’s “authoritarian tendencies” and the sectarian politics of his ruling …