Worst of all worlds

Exit polls from the Indian election suggest that neither of the two main parties, the BJP or Congress have managed to convince the electorate to give them the coveted Parliamentary majority.

This is not just bad for India’s politicians who now embark on the customary political haggling, but also for ordinary Indians.

The intray for whoever emerges victorious is overflowing with policy puzzles that need solving. Leaving aside India’s role on the international stage, India has a number of domestic issues to start resolving. The first and foremost is the impact of the continuing fallout from the recent economic turbulence. Add to that the extreme socio-economic divisions there are within India, racial unease and the disintegration of their Pakistani neighbour’s house and it is a daunting set of challenges.

For this reason India needs a government that can lead and not be led. If the exit polls are to be believed, India could be facing the worst of all worlds.