Modi remains roundly popular and is widely expected to win a third term whenthe poll concludes, in large part due to his cultivated image as anaggressive champion of the country's majority faith. The 73-year-old arrived late Thursday at a monument to Swami Vivekananda, arenowned 19th-century Hindu monk and philosopher, for his latest ritual. Modi underwent a similar retreat immediately before his last election victoryin 2019, when he spent days meditating inside a cave in the Himalayanfoothills. Construction of the temple fulfilled a longstanding demand of Hindu activistsand was widely celebrated across the country with back-to-back televisioncoverage and street parties. The BJP and Modi are widely expected to win this year's election, which isconducted over six weeks to ease the immense logistical burden of staging thedemocratic exercise in the world's most populous country.

Source: Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha May 31, 2024 14:20 UTC