In spring 2024 India, a nation of over 1.4 billion people, held the largest election in recorded history. This event, which took place in the lead up to this historic election, discussed the seeming advantage that the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had, in part due to the high approval ratings of its leader, Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Two distinguished guest speakers, Gilles Verniers (Amherst College), Balmurli Natrajan (William Patterson University) along with SIS Professor, Sumitra Badrinathan, and SIS Postdoctoral Fellow, Samantha Agarwal, examined the reasons for Modi's continued popularity, despite his second term being marked by formidable mass protest movements and growing authoritarian tendencies. It also looked at the ongoing attempts – and challenges - to consolidate a united opposition to the BJP. The panel also touched on India’s “new” welfare politics, the continued salience of caste in Indian elections, and the impact of misinformation on democracy, ethnic and religious polarization.