He heads the most fractious coalition government since Independence. The political bickering comes at a time when the country is also adrift economically.
Many industrial sectors are in recession, while exports are sluggish.
The latest addition to the PM's list of problems is the Srikrishna Commission Report - a stiff indictment of the Shiv Sena, a Hindu chauvinist ally of the BJP that rules Maharashtra, India's richest state. B.N. Srikrishna, a highly respected judge who conducted the probe, holds the Sena responsible for triggering the violence that left at least 900 people dead. To date, not a single member of the Sena has been brought to justice for the murders. It is a predictable reaction from someone who is routinely flayed for his anti-minority policies. In recent months, Joshi's government has intensified what some commentators describe as a thinly disguised communal campaign to deport poor Muslim immigrants back to Bangladesh.