How India’s opposition secures a win by unity

In politics, a week is too long, is proved wrong, as India’s struggling political opposition won a rare victory at the weekend when Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party failed to muster enough support to form the local government in the south Indian state of Karnataka.

BJP leader BS Yeddyurappa, who was sworn in as Karnataka’s chief minister on last Thursday, resigned on Saturday after 55 hours of high political drama in Karnataka – whose capital Bangalore is a hub of the IT industry, often considered India’s Silicon Valley.

The BJP’s powerlessness to take control of Karnataka despite emerging as the single largest party eight short of the 112 needed for a simple majority in state elections was a big setback for Modi. The party was desperately seeking a strategic foothold in southern India ahead of next year’s general elections when Modi is expected to seek a second term.

An Alliance of two parties – the local Janata Dal (secular) and Rahul Gandhi’s Congress united looks set to govern the prosperous state, which will be an important base of political fundraising,

JDS leader Kumaraswamy to take oath as Karnataka Chief Minister.