The last time Indians voted in a national election, in 2019, the Bharatiya Janata Party, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, won. But even then, more than 60% of voters still voted for other parties.
That Modi has established such dominance in Parliament despite not having majority support is a reflection of a weak and fractured political opposition.
The main opposition party, the Indian National Congress, ruled for decades after the country gained independence in 1947, under the leadership of the Nehru-Gandhi dynasty. The party's position is now much reduced: In 2019, it won 52 seats in the National Assembly to the BJP's 303 seats. The party is not expected to do much better in this year's election, which begins on Friday and lasts six weeks.
This is why the political opposition in India is in such a difficult position.
Congress is a shell of what it once was.
The Congress, which has long served as India's political center, has struggled to find direction and offer an ideological alternative to the nationalist BJP. HInduism. That has hampered the broader opposition's fight against Mr. Modi.
The Congress faced a leadership crisis, a series of rebellions and infighting. Even after two consecutive defeats by Modi, the party has maintained its dynastic leadership. It once again puts forward Rahul Gandhi, the son, grandson and great-grandson of Indian prime ministers, as its face to confront Mr. Modi.
Mr. Gandhi tried to increase his political influence by leading long marches across the country, including one of more than 2,000 miles. But just as he seemed to have found momentum, the BJP moved to check it.
After his first march attracted huge crowds, the BJP trapped him in a court case that led to him appearing in court. expelled from Congress. He was later given his seat back by India's highest court.
His party's defeats in several key state elections in recent months have also thrown it off course, exposing the severity of its inherent problems.
A coalition of parties has difficulty staying united.
In the months leading up to the election, a host of opposition parties formed an alliance with the catchy name INDIA, short for the less flamboyant Indian National Alliance for Comprehensive Development.
The formation of the alliance has caused unease among BJP leaders, suggesting that the election may be a less one-sided affair.
But a series of fierce disagreements over seat sharing among coalition members has disappointed many supporters. In some states, coalition parties have failed to resolve long-standing differences, putting local protections above national ambitions to challenge Mr. Modi.
The Chief Minister of one state, who had been the founder and prominent face of the opposition bloc, even switched sides to join the BJP. Mr. Modi has relentlessly tried to divide the alliance, luring some members with incentives and bogging down investigations and jailing others. sentence.
Modi uses government to go after opponents.
Opposition groups say that Mr. Modi is asking government agencies to do political work for him. They appear to have good reason: Opposition leaders have been targeted in about 90% of cases involving politicians pursued by the country's top financial crime agency since Mr. Modi came to power in 2014.
Weeks before this year's election, tax authorities under Mr. Modi moved to freeze the Congress's bank accounts, paralyzing the party. The Modi government has also jailed two ministers of opposition parties.
While the Congress has long been the object of Modi's ire – he has even declared that he wants an “India without Congress” – a smaller party, the Aam Aadmi Party, or AAP, has faced a particularly harsh crackdown.
Analysts said Modi sees AAP as a potential national challenger as the Congress fades. The party runs governments in Delhi and Punjab, and has made inroads into Modi's home state of Gujarat.
The opponent's attack lines have limited traction.
The opposition coalition has gone after Modi mainly on two issues: growing authoritarianism, which they say is turning India's democracy into a one-party regime, and political corruption, which they say is turning India's democracy into a one-party regime. believed to be enriching a small group of elites.
Opposition leaders also point to growing inequality and a huge shortage of jobs in India, especially among its large youth population.
It is unclear whether these lines of attack will greatly affect Mr. Modi's position. He amassed enormous power and popularity through a potent combination of Hindu majoritarianism, strong welfare programs, and his own personal charisma.
Mr. Modi also has enormous control over India's information channels, with the media especially amenable to his wishes.
Mujib Mashal Report contributions.
