Nepal, March 27 -- The state of the Indian state is getting curiouser and curiouser as its Prime Minister Narendra Modi completes his second term and seeks a third one. A Chief Minister, once celebrated as "India's corruption-buster", finds himself behind bars on corruption charges. The bank accounts of the largest opposition party have been frozen. The cult of personality has turned parliamentary elections into a presidential contest. And yet, the liberal voice in what was once the largest democracy in the world remains ambivalent, if not silent altogether.

The polling for the multi-phased elections of the 18th Lok Sabha-the lower house of the bicameral parliament in India-is scheduled to take place between April 19 and June 1, 2024. Th...