Why India has soured on Trump ahead of US midterms

New Delhi, India — Standing next to United States President Donald Trump, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi delivered praise after praise.“Every time [we meet], he has been the same: warm, friendly, accessible, energetic, and full of wit,” he said of Trump, as they addressed a joint rally in a Houston, Texas, stadium packed with more than 50,000 Indian Americans.That was in 2019, ahead of the 2020 US presidential vote, when Trump was facing a major electoral test – seeking re-election to a second term. Modi was, in effect, galvanising support for him among the Indian-American community, the wealthiest diaspora in the US.Modi even borrowed a line from his own successful election campaigns, saying: “Abki baar, Trump sarkaar!”, Hindi for “This time, a Trump government.”But Trump lost.Seven years later, as Trump prepares for difficult midterm elections that could see him lose significant numbers in the US Congress, potentially crippling his legislative agenda, New Delhi’s equation with Washington could not be more different.Far from endorsing Trump, Indian officials have in recent weeks been more direct than ever in their criticism of his administration, amid a series of setbacks to ...