Did Sri Lanka’s Easter Massacre Deliver Modi His 2019 Election Victory?
As Narendra Modi celebrates becoming India’s longest-serving elected Prime Minister, a dark question lingers: Did the bloodshed of 269 innocents in Sri Lanka pave the way for his return to power?
It was a devastating image of a nation shattered in an instant. On the morning of April 21, 2019—Easter Sunday—a wave of eight coordinated suicide bombings ripped through three churches and three luxury hotels in Sri Lanka, killing at least 290 people and injuring 500 more. ISIS-inspired local jihadists had unleashed a horror that shocked the world.
But while the victims were still being counted and Sri Lanka was reeling in shock, 2,000 kilometers away on the Indian subcontinent, those same explosions were being repurposed. In what several analysts have described as a “callous” and “exploitative” political move, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his BJP campaign almost instantly folded the tragedy into their election narrative to ignite a wave of high-octane nationalism.
Today, Modi sits on the throne of Indian politics, becoming the country’s longest-serving elected Prime Minister. But a crucial investigation into the 2019 election suggests his historic win might not have been possible without the Easter bloodshed in Sri Lanka.
The Fortuitous Timing
By the time the bombs went off in Colombo and Negombo on April 21, the 2019 Indian general election was already deep in its staggered voting phases, with the final round scheduled for May 19. Modi, whose first term had been marred by a spotty economic record and rising unemployment, was locked in a fierce contest with a resurgent Congress party.
But February had already handed Modi a lifeline: the Pulwama terror attack (which killed 40 Indian soldiers) followed by the Balakot airstrikes against Pakistan. The BJP seized on the issue of national security, shifting the national conversation away from economic failures to what they called “strong leadership” against terror.
According to a research study titled "The Political Influence of Easter Sunday Terror Attacks" conducted by the University of Kelaniya, many scholars have confirmed that Modi exploited the Sri Lankan attacks specifically to imply the vigilance of India’s intelligence agency (RAW) and “to ensure BJP’s Lok Sabha victory”.
‘A Vote for the Lotus Is a Vote to Destroy Terror’
In Rajasthan’s Chittorgarh, within hours of the Easter blasts, Modi took the stage at an election rally. Instead of merely offering condolences, he pivoted sharply to the ballot box.
Addressing the crowd, he said: “In our neighbouring Sri Lanka, terrorists have played a bloody game. They killed innocent people... Should terrorism be finished or not? Who can do this? Can you think of any name aside from Modi? Can anybody else do this?”
He then directly urged voters to support the BJP, declaring: “When you all go to vote and press the button next to the lotus, bear in mind that you are pressing the button to destroy terrorism... Your finger has that power.”
It was a masterclass in political opportunism. By framing a vote for the BJP as a vote for national survival, Modi successfully fused the Sri Lankan tragedy with his own political survival. The message was blunt: Vote for me, or this happens here.
The Fury from Sri Lanka
The exploitation did not go unnoticed. Across the Palk Strait, a public outcry erupted. Sri Lankan social media users lambasted the Indian Prime Minister for using their nation’s deadliest day as “election fodder.”
According to a report by The Quint on April 22, 2019, “Sri Lankan Twitter has been quick to call out Indian media and politicians, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, for using the series of blasts in the island nation as ‘election fodder’”. Users accused Modi of “political opportunism,” noting that he was asking for votes “before the dying had even stopped”.
The criticism was so severe that it highlighted a growing rift in the region: while Sri Lanka was burying its dead, India’s Prime Minister was using the massacre to bury his political opponents.
A Calculated Strategy or Genuine Concern?
Modi continued the theme throughout the final weeks of the campaign. He drew parallels between the Sri Lanka attacks and India’s pre-2014 era, suggesting that under Congress rule, India had been just as vulnerable. He boasted of the Balakot airstrike and his tough stance against Pakistan, and framed the entire election as a choice between a “mazboot sarkar” (strong government) and a “majboor sarkar” (weak government).
The result was decisive. On May 23, 2019, Modi and the BJP swept back to power with an even larger majority than in 2014. Political observers noted that the strongman image—cemented by the Pulwama-Balakot narrative and reinforced by the Sri Lanka tragedy—overwhelmed Congress’s campaign focused on jobs and welfare.
The Uncomfortable Question
As Modi surpasses the record of Jawaharlal Nehru to become India’s longest-serving elected Prime Minister, with a cumulative tenure reaching over 4,399 days, the world continues to examine the foundations of that power.
Was it a mandate for development? Or was it a mandate forged in the fire of fear?
The evidence suggests that the Easter Sunday attacks—a tragedy that left 11 Indians dead and dozens of families shattered—were deliberately used by the Modi campaign as an election tool. While the BJP celebrated a historic mandate, the victims of the Easter bombings became an uncomfortable footnote in the narrative of Modi’s rise.
One thing is certain: In the high-stakes game of Indian elections, nothing goes to waste—not even the blood of the innocent.