The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won consecutive parliamentary majorities in India’s 2014 and 2019 elections, ushering in a period of single-party dominance that has replaced a quarter-century of coalition politics. This new era has been marked by a growing concentration of executive power, crackdowns on dissent, and rising Hindu majoritarianism. The roots of India’s democratic backsliding predate the BJP’s resurgence, but the trends have intensified in the past 10 years. While the party’s disappointing performance in the 2024 elections suggests a possible corrective, legislative capture in India will not easily unravel: The BJP remains in a commanding political position and shows little inclination toward moderation; questions about electoral integrity abound; referee institutions are abdicating their authority; and constraints on civil society endure. Given India’s outsize geopolitical importance, foreign pressure is unlikely to be decisive in reversing these trends.
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