A nagging doubt plagues world leaders wooing India: whose side is Narendra Modi really on?

Suddenly, everyone loves India. But it's an affair, not a marriage. Whether it lasts depends on the consequences of this week's watershed election. At stake are the credibility of Indian democracy and, potentially, the country's future as a cohesive unitary state. Courting India as a counterweight to China, the US is ardently pursuing a deeper security relationship. The EU hankers after a free trade pact. Countries ranging from Australia to Norway to the UAE have already forged bespoke deals. France greedily eyes a growing market for its weapons manufacturers. For Germany, India is an $18bn land of export opportunity. Britain,…