Modi dodged a bullet when he got the NDA Parliamentary Party to acclaim him as leader of the coalition, neatly side-stepping the RSS demand that the leader of the BJP Parliamentary Party be elected by the party MPs through ballot.

No matter who forms the government, the election results have shown one thing: no single party has a majority. The next government, lacking a clear majority, will need to prioritise dialogue and collaboration over unilateral decision-making.

As people vote in the fifth phase, which will set the tone for the final stretch of the election, Modi revisits personal grievances and outdated promises. Meanwhile, a rogue wave is rising — its impact will be known in 16 days.

Political patronage to criminals and a growing culture of political extremism has made Kannur the hotbed of political murders and revenge killings