India's Ruling Party Faces Poll Challenge on Modi's Home Turf
- Elections to India’s Gujarat will be held on December 9, 14
- BJP looks set to retain power, buffered by a weak oppostion
Narendra Modi
Photographer: Nicky Loh/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
India’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party faces another challenge to retain power in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s home state of Gujarat in polls later this year in what would be a referendum on its policies including demonetization and the national sales tax.
The BJP is throwing all its resources into Gujarat to ensure the party performs well after ruling the state for 19 years. A loss -- or a poor result -- could set off a chain reaction and hamper Modi’s efforts to retain power in 2019.