The two principal allies – Telugu Desam Party (TDP) from the southern state of Andhra Pradesh, and Janata Dal (United), or JDU, from the eastern Bihar state – will be given a lot of power in the coalition government, Dr Dossani told CNA’s Asia First.
Both parties won 28 seats in total, leading to local media calling their respective leaders “kingmakers”.
“It’s not that they’re very ethical parties themselves – they’re known to be to have defected regularly to both sides over the years. But it gives power to a group that doesn’t see eye to eye with Modi on some issues,” added Dr Dossani, who is also a professor of policy analysis at Pardee RAND Graduate School.
“I think religious nationalism is one (issue) that both of them reject. But I don’t think it will create barriers for Modi’s government to pursue otherwise economic and other foreign policy and domestic political challenges that it faces.”
Associate Professor Ananya Vajpeyi, fellow at the Centre for the Study of Developing Societies, said that TDP and JDU will “certainly have a set of demands”.
“They will want some key ministries. They will want some important positions in government, both in terms of the administration and in terms of how things appear to the public and to the outside world,” she told CNA’s Asia Tonight.
“It depends on the BJP and Mr Modi… whether they are able to come to any kind of understanding with these king-making parties.”
Source link : https://www.channelnewsasia.com/asia/india-elections-narendra-modi-allies-agree-form-government-4389396
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Publish date : 2024-06-05 10:08:00
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