Between April 20th and May 10th, hundreds of millions of Indians voted in their country's national elections. The participating parties—from the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its national counterpart, the Congress Party, to the manifold (and increasingly prominent) regional parties—are as numerous and diverse as their constituents, as are the issues they address.

Eminent political commentator Pratap Bhanu Mehta joined us to discuss the projected outcome of the elections and the implications for the future of Indian democracy. He particularly addressed the meaning of the elections for the future of the BJP and the Hindu-nationalist movement more generally. Dr. Mehta, who specializes in political philosophy, law and governance, is the author of The Burden of Democracy and a frequent contributor to several Indian newspapers and journals. This year he is a visiting professor at Harvard University.