An opinion analysis published on August 12, 2026 argues that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s personal popularity and ability to attract votes have been the central strengths of India’s BJP government during its roughly 12 years in power. It says the BJP received about 31 to 36 percent of the vote in general elections fought under Modi. However, recent student protests at Jantar Mantar, ridicule directed at Modi and BJP defeats in two by-elections are presented as pressures on his previously invincible image.

The article compares Modi’s situation with the rise and later unpopularity of former prime minister Indira Gandhi. It says Gandhi’s newly formed Congress won 43 percent of votes in 1971 and 1980, and 48 percent after her assassination in 1984. Yet protests in 1974-75 made her a principal target, and Congress lost in 1977, when Gandhi also lost her own seat.

According to the analysis, the education minister was dismissed after the student protests, while several efforts by Modi to reach younger people did not receive the intended response. The author says the BJP hopes for victory in next year’s Uttar Pradesh assembly election. Addressing anger among young people without jobs is described as a major challenge for Modi.