India kicks off crucial state elections for Modi’s BJP amid Iran war turmoil

India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi waves to his supporters during an election meeting in Barpeta on Monday ahead of the Assam state election on Thursday.

Photo: AFP The US and Israel’s war against Iran is casting an unusually long shadow over India’s next round of state elections, stoking fears of an energy shock and fresh uncertainty for millions of migrant workers in the Middle East.

As voters prepare to cast ballots in Assam and Kerala on Thursday, and in West Bengal and Tamil Nadu later this month, concerns about higher energy costs, tighter cooking gas supplies and the fate of workers in the Gulf have given the campaign an unusual international dimension.

The results could signal whether Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is poised to deepen its dominance by breaking into opposition strongholds, analysts say, with implications far beyond the four states voting this month.

State elections in India have traditionally been dominated by local issues, but analysts say sections of young voters are likely to pay heed to global issues as they affect daily living.

A polling official demonstrates how to use electronic voting machines during training for government employees ahead of the Assam legislative assembly election in Guwahati, India, on March 25.

Photo: AP The federal government has largely shielded consumers from the impact of the Iran war through measures such as reducing excise duty on petrol and diesel, though sections, especially some commercial establishments, have faced tighter supplies of cooking gas.

Modi’s federal policies would overlap with the coming state elections because global issues were affecting people everywhere, said Harsh Ramaswamy, an independent political commentator. “People realise that there is a war going on and that things are not easy worldwide.

Generally, people seem to be satisfied with the measures being taken to support citizens,” he said, noting that the country was among a handful of nations to have secured passage for several ships carrying fuel through the Strait of Hormuz.

Ramaswamy said the BJP had been instrumental in building a “nationalistic fervour” towards self-reliance, noting that global trade tensions following tariffs imposed by US President Donald Trump were likely to affect the state elections.

While worries about higher inflation were weighing on voters, analysts said such concerns were unlikely to dent the BJP’s prospects in the polls.

Mamata Banerjee, chief minis

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