Rahul Gandhi is the only serious challenger Narendra Modi faces in India. And this time, he's fighting with a mega-alliance to 'save democracy'.
Over the last two years, he has walked the length and much of the breadth of India , been convicted for defamation, suspended from parliament, and now, had his party's funds frozen.
The BJP is far and away India's richest political party, holding assets worth $1.1 billion in 2021-22, according to the Association for Democratic Reforms.The mighty BJP machinery, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has been successful in labelling Rahul Gandhi "Pappu" and "Prince" throughout his political career.With a population of more than 1.4 billion people, here's where the world's biggest democracy is at — in pictures — ahead of its elections.
Rahul, Sonia and Priyanka Gandhi at their father's funeral pyre after he was assassinated by a Sri Lankan suicide bomber.In a different era, Rahul Gandhi's lineage would have been a boon to his political prospects, said Varghese K George, resident editor of The Hindu, one of India's most prestigious newspapers."His parentage is mixed in terms of religion, caste, ethnicity, etc.
Chandrachur Singh, an associate professor of political science at the University of Delhi, largely agrees."Rahul is accepted amongst the people as a leader who is fearless and is capable of launching attacks," Dr Singh said. A fact the BJP uses to argue that Rahul Gandhi chooses to contest from there because he does not have popular support with India's majority.But for Wayanad, Rahul Gandhi's message of inclusivity and communal harmony, at a time of religious animosity, has resonated.
Faced with the possibility of a third consecutive term for the Modi government, the Congress has stitched together a mega-alliance of more than two dozen national and regional parties — the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance, or INDIA.While the coalition appears tenuous, as political coalitions in India tend to be, it remains intact, despite the historical rivalries among its member parties.
"We have the polls before us. Who selected the umpires? Before the match started, two players were arrested … Narendra Modi is trying to do match-fixing for these polls."A mother's message and the hospital that didn't want to hear it'We had to force ourselves to get married': Why couples in Myanmar are booking weddings to save the bride
India Election Election Rahul Gandhi Narendra Modi Congress Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance BJP Bharatiya Janata Party Democracy
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