Delhi: Even haters of Prime Minister Narendra Modi are hard put to deny his virtually unassailable position. No other politician is even near to threatening him. From the looks of it, say many analysts, the next general election is his to lose.

His latest political triumph was winning the support of a formidable rival, Nitesh Kumar, chief minister of Bihar state, last month. For many in the demoralised opposition, Kumar was the only person who could contemplate, at a pinch, taking on Modi in 2019 by leading a coalition comprising the opposition Congress Party and others.

A roadside barber attends to a client in Delhi on Tuesday. Small business owners are hoping Modi will bring better days for India. Credit:AP

Instead, Kumar jumped ship. Then he dumped his allies in Bihar and formed a new government with the support of Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party, BJP. The result - the opposition lost the only politician with enough credibility to have cobbled together an alliance to defeat Modi. Bihar is now in the BJP fold. The feat comes just four months after the BJP won a spectacular victory in the politically important state of Uttar Pradesh.

The Modi juggernaut rolls on. With Kumar joining hands with him, the talk of Modi being on course to win a second term has become louder.