Modi wins, though loses majority

+ Machiavelli on the US election US Edition - Today's top story: Modi's narrow win suggests Indian voters saw through religious rhetoric, opting instead to curtail his political power [View in browser]( US Edition | 5 June 2024 [The Conversation] [The Conversation]( Top headlines - [Will Cuba be dropped as a state sponsor of terrorism (again)?]( - [Americans won’t like World Cup cricket? Oh no … they’ll love it]( - [Food beats sex as the driver of giraffe’s shape – by a neck]( Lead story Prime Minister Narendra Modi claimed victory after his political alliance scored a slim majority in India’s recently concluded parliamentary elections. The Bharatiya Janata Party, led by Modi, got a total of 240 seats but needs its coalition partners to form the government in the 543-seat Parliament. For many observers, the results came as a surprise. Exit polls had widely predicted a supermajority, and Modi too had often used the slogan “Abki Baar, 400 Paar,” or “this time, above 400,” referring to the parliamentary seats he hoped to win. Not only did the BJP fall short of that threshold, it also lost seats in several of its strongholds in northern and central India. Many factors may have [played a role in this setback for Modi](, as Indiana University political scientist Sumit Ganguly explains. For one, the benefits of India’s economic growth have not reached the wider masses, many of whom are struggling with unemployment, housing and lack of food. In addition, Modi’s divisive use of historic Hindu-Muslim tensions to enhance his political power has seemingly run its course with people more concerned about their daily necessities. “Hindu pride cannot be eaten – ultimately, it’s the price of potatoes and other essentials that matter,” Ganguly writes. [ [Science from the scientists themselves. Sign up for our weekly science email newsletter.]( ] Kalpana Jain Senior Religion + Ethics Editor/ Director of the Global Religion Journalism Initiative Supporters of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party dance at a party office in Guwahati, India, during counting of India’s national election on June 4, 2024. AP Photo/Anupam Nath [Modi’s narrow win suggests Indian voters saw through religious rhetoric, opting instead to curtail his political power]( Sumit Ganguly, Indiana University The ruling BJP failed to see that those who had not benefited from the country’s rapid economic growth were deeply unhappy. Science + Technology - [Female giraffes drove the evolution of long giraffe necks in order to feed on the most nutritious leaves, new research suggests]( Douglas R. Cavener, Penn State Giraffe necks are a hot topic among biologists. A new study contradicts an older theory that says male giraffes need long necks to fight over mates. 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