New Delhi: With Narendra Modi set to take oath for the third time as Prime Minister on Sunday, a look at the election data in India shows that he is the only leader who has won three consecutive polls while continuing to maintain a steady vote share. PM Modi joins the ranks of world leaders like former United States President Franklin D Roosevelt and former German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who were elected for more than two terms while maintaining a largely consistent vote share.
Till now, Jawaharlal Nehru was the only Indian Prime Minister to have won three consecutive polls. PM Modi is the second leader to do so. Jawaharlal Nehru registered a vote share of 45 per cent in the 1952 election which rose to 47.8 per cent in 1957, but in the 1963 election the vote share dipped to 44.7 per cent, which is marginally lower than his first electoral win.
For PM Modi that vote share percentage has been consistent. In 2014, BJP won 31.3 per cent vote share while in 2019 it went up to 37.7 per cent and dipped marginally to 36.6 per cent in 2024 election. BJP won absolute majority on its own in 2014 and 2019 Lok Sabha polls while being part of the National Democratic Alliance.
PM Modi's victory in 2019 is often compared to Rajiv Gandhi's 1984 win. Buoyed by a sympathy wave due to the assassination of then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, the Congress led by Rajiv Gandhi won 414 seats with a vote share of 49 per cent. PM Modi, seeking re-election in 2019, won a vote share of 45 per cent, and the BJP-led coalition secured 353 seats.
In the international context, PM Modi's popularity as a leader stands close to former American President Franklin Roosevelt who won four presidential elections from 1932 to 1944, all with a largely consistent vote percentage. Roosevelt won his first election with a vote percentage of 57.4 per cent in 1932 and his last in 1944 with a share of 53.4 per cent.
Roosevelt was the last American President to serve more than two terms. PM Modi's third term can also be compared to the success of former German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who won four consecutive elections from 2005 to 2017. Her vote share fell in 2009 and in 2017. Lee Kwan Yew, the founder of modern Singapore, won six consecutive elections between 1968 and 1988 and his vote share reduced in his second, fourth and fifth terms.
Lee Kwan Yew won the 1968 election with a vote share of 86.7 per cent and his term in 1988 came with a vote share of 63.1 per cent. PM Modi now leads an NDA coalition with 293 seats in the Parliament and has promised to continue the path of reform to make India a developed nation by 2047. "NDA government 1, 2, and now 3... this is continuity. We will take the country forward with more vision and comprehensive to ensure our resolutions, our commitment towards good governance and attempt towards fulfilling the dreams of the common people," he told the media in the Rashtrapati Bhavan premises after staking claim to form the new government.
"During this tenure of 10 years, India has emerged as a Vishwabandhu for the world. Its maximum advantage is starting now. And I am sure that the next five years are going to be very useful for India in the global environment as well. The world is going through many crises, many tensions, disasters...we Indians are fortunate that despite so many big crises, we are today known as the world's fastest-growing economy. We are also being praised in the world for growth. I have had the experience of doing the Prime Minister's job for 10 years and will use this experience well," he added. PM Modi will take the oath of office at 7.15 pm on Sunday along with his council of ministers in a ceremony at the Rashtrapati Bhavan.
