India will see anti-Modi Federal Front in early 2019

Significance

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) has 314 seats in the 545-member parliamentary lower house. Congress, which leads the United Progressive Alliance (UPA), has 48 seats, short of the 10% minimum required for it to nominate the leader of the opposition. Regionally influential politicians such as West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and former Uttar Pradesh (UP) Chief Minister Mayawati have called for a broad anti-BJP alliance ahead of the general election due early next year.

Impacts

• Modi’s personality will be a critical factor in election campaigning.
• The opposition will try to undermine Modi by highlighting the jobless growth and religious discord under BJP rule.
• The BJP and its opponents will try to project themselves as the champions of farmers in a bid to increase their rural support.