New political front to test Modi policy and politics

Subject

Outlook for the Janata Parivar.

Significance

In mid-April, six leading regional parties merged to form the 'Janata Parivar' (or People's Family, JP) to challenge Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government. The JP has been provoked, in part, by the way that the BJP is pushing reforms to land acquisition laws despite widespread opposition, and converting its 2014 general election triumph into many regional election victories.

Impacts

• The JP will oppose subsidy cuts and the BJP's Hindu nationalist cultural agenda.
• The land acquisition amendment may be the most serious casualty of political opposition to Modi.
• Regional parties will attempt to balance market and welfare interests, highlighting (but not mitigating) rising inequality.