A powerful Indian regional party pulled out of the main opposition alliance on Sunday, a split that could hobble the rise of a controversial Hindu nationalist leader who hopes to oust the ruling Congress party in elections due by May 2014. The Janata Dal (United) party, based in the eastern state of Bihar, announced it would end a 17-year-old alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) after the BJP promoted firebrand leader Narendra Modi to lead its election campaign. The exit could hamper the chances of the Hindu nationalist BJP finding enough allies to mount a convincing challenge to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s administration, whose second term has been plagued by scandals and a worsening economy.
It could also encourage a rag-tag of regional parties – with fickle leaders and diverse local agendas – to form their own so-called third front coalition, which, if they were successful, could present a risk for Asia’s third-largest economy.
