NEW DELHI: India’s success against the odds in bringing Brics countries with incongruent, even conflicting, outlooks on key global issues of contention, such as the West Asia conflict, to throw their weight behind a joint declaration comes as a timely domestic boost for BJP when its rivals are sensing some vulnerability in its otherwise dominant political position.Foreign policy has been a major component of BJP’s arsenal in scoring political points over its rivals, especially Congress, as it has projected a rising global profile of an assertive India under PM Narendra Modi‘s leadership, in contrast to the country’s “meek” response to challenges from external security to trade in the pre-2014 period.Modi hailed the New Delhi Declaration, adopted unanimously at Brics, saying confidence of the bloc is wider in reach and stronger in purpose.With BJP marshalling a counter-offensive against the opposition and set to step up its public connect with a month-long campaign from Modi’s birthday (Sept 17), the Brics outcome will be one more arrow in its quiver. The photograph of Modi holding the hand of Iran’s President Masoud and leading him into Bharat Mandapam, the fact that Indian diplomacy was crucial in getting Iran and its rival the UAE to sign the declaration as well as the tough formulation against coercive tariff and unilateral sanctions can only blunt opposition’s criticism about diminished strategic autonomy because of pressure from US. That the resolution did not mention US by name does not take away much from the perception of India holding its own at the summit which the Trump administration must have been watching closely.All this is a perfect fit for Modi’s “strong leader” brand.
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The G20 New Delhi Leaders’ Declaration in 2023, with a gulf separating Russia and the West over invasion of Ukraine too, had come amid a cloud of uncertainty over such a possibility. Working with others, India somehow conjured up a document that was unanimously adopted. The diplomatic success became a major talking point for NDA in the run-up to the 2024 elections.A similar success at Brics attests to the governing alliance’s contention that India now enjoys a standing that can persuade global leaders to get around their differences to thrash out a consensus outcome.In his post on X on the declaration, Modi said with the document’s focus on innovation, sustainability, people-to-people ties and more, the endeavour is to make cooperation practical, development-oriented and responsive to the aspirations of Brics nations.BJP was quick to drive home its message. Its president Nitin Nabin said Bharat has once again demonstrated its commitment to a more representative and balanced world.
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