The writer is an author and a lawyer based in Mumbai.
THE much-awaited results of the crucial elections to the legislative assemblies of West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Assam and Puducherry were out on May 2. The BJP won, as expected, in Assam and Puducherry. It got a resounding drubbing in Kerala. In Tamil Nadu, the DMK won. It is, however, West Bengal which has made a big dent in Narendra Modi’s popularity. Coupled with his incompetence during the pandemic, his defeat is certain to affect his popularity and his chances in the general elections in 2024, though it would be hazardous to predict the outcome today.