Home » As world’s biggest election nears, defections hurt India’s anti-Modi alliance

As world’s biggest election nears, defections hurt India’s anti-Modi alliance

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India’s opposition leaders formally launched their election campaign against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) during a Mumbai mega rally this weekend. In recent months, however, the opposition’s main weapon against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his party has splintered.

The Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance, or I.N.D.I.A., is a coalition of 28 political parties founded last summer to oppose the BJP. From the start, its largest member and de facto leader was the Congress party, which won 52 out of 543 parliamentary seats during the 2019 election.

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As India’s opposition alliance launches its election campaign, some members have abandoned ship, underscoring the challenges of political cooperation.

But high-profile members have since ditched the alliance due to ideological differences, difficult seat-sharing negotiations, and personality clashes. Analysts cite the Congress party’s self-centered approach as a key reason for the coalition’s troubles, as well as a lack of confidence about I.N.D.I.A.’s polling prospects.

“They don’t seem to believe they can succeed,” says political commentator Neerja Chowdhury, author of “How Prime Ministers Decide.”

The BJP and its allies “possess resources, machinery, and a charismatic leader who reigns as the king of Hindu hearts,” she explains. “On the opposing side, there’s a lack of clear leadership, a coherent narrative, and the determination to win or mount a substantial challenge.”

Tens of thousands gathered in Mumbai’s sprawling Shivaji Park this weekend to see Rahul Gandhi and other opposition leaders formally launch their campaign for next month’s general election.

The mega rally marked the end of Mr. Gandhi’s second cross-country march – a 15-state journey aimed at rallying voters against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) – and featured numerous jabs at Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

But while the Congress party star and grandson of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi marched over 4,000 miles, the opposition’s main weapon against the BJP was splintering. 

Why We Wrote This

A story focused on

As India’s opposition alliance launches its election campaign, some members have abandoned ship, underscoring the challenges of political cooperation.

The Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (I.N.D.I.A.), a coalition of 28 political parties opposing the BJP, has faced significant setbacks in recent months. 

High-profile members have abandoned the alliance due to ideological differences, difficult seat-sharing negotiations, and personality clashes. Analysts and former I.N.D.I.A. members have cited the Congress party’s self-centered approach as a key reason for the coalition’s underwhelming performance. Another factor: an overall lack of confidence that it can beat a no-holds-barred campaign by the BJP, which has used Hindu nationalism to rally and expand its support base. 

“They don’t seem to believe they can succeed,” says political commentator Neerja Chowdhury, author of “How Prime Ministers Decide.”

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