India, Feb. 25 -- PM Modi's inauguration streak is well known. He inaugurates frequently and across scales, from railway stations and highways to housing clusters and redevelopment projects. Critics argue that this risks voter fatigue. More than that, it magnifies political exposure. When a Prime Minister associates himself with hundreds of projects, the likelihood that a single defect, delay or quality failure will reverberate nationally increases. Why concentrate reputational risk at the very top?

Defying political risk

In most political systems, leaders minimise exposure. They reserve landmark projects for themselves and delegate most other ribbon cuttings. They preserve distance from granular execution and retain plausible deniabili...