Narendra Modi faces a profound challenge as a split emerges within his core Hindu nationalist support, particularly between him and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). This rift is the most serious internal crisis he has encountered since assuming office in 2014. Despite Modi’s earlier overwhelming electoral victories, his 2024 campaign revealed vulnerabilities when he dismissed the RSS’s role, prompting many cadres to withdraw active support. This contributed significantly to the loss of his parliamentary majority and has emboldened the RSS to press back against his one-man style of leadership and extravagant personality cult, which the RSS disdains in favor of institutional control.
The standoff has been marked by mutual recriminations: the RSS criticizes Modi’s overconfidence and his reliance on opportunistic candidates with little allegiance to Hindu nationalism, while Modi responds with efforts to maintain dominance, including sidelining dissenting allies and boosting his own image. His attempts to appease the RSS through public praise have not succeeded in bridging the divide. Instead, his summoning of alliance leaders to reinforce his control and the intensification of his personality cult have exacerbated tensions, highlighting a contradiction at the heart of his political approach.
With key state elections looming, both the RSS and Modi see the potential cost of their fracture. Yet, they converge on controversial measures such as the Election Commission’s revision of electoral rolls, widely viewed as skewed to exclude opponents and undermine democratic norms. The hardening of this internal conflict threatens not only Modi’s political future but also the democratic fabric of the country. Modi’s agonizing struggle underscores the difficulty of balancing authoritarian impulses with the demands of a powerful ideological institution that prioritizes collective control over individual supremacy. How this impasse resolves will shape the trajectory of Indian politics for years to come.
