From the Editor-in-Chief

 Prime Minister Narendra Modi has the habit of setting very ambitious and challenging targets. Now, with the results of the general election a little over two months away, he has proclaimed a target of 370 seats for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)—and a phenomenal “char sau paar” or 400-plus for the National Democratic Alliance (NDA). A battle cry that is resonating around the country. It constitutes a giant leap from the 303 and 352 seats the BJP and NDA totted up, respectively, in 2019 that some would say is just a morale-booster for the cadre. It does have a psychological effect all around, including on the Opposition and the electorate. Our cover story this issue takes a hard look at whether this stupendous number can be achieved, if at all. To reach this goal, the BJP will have to get nearly 50 per cent of the votes from India’s nearly 970 million-strong electorate.