With PM Modi's Farm U-Turn, Opposition Has New Chance to Unite

One major problem for the disparate opposition parties is figuring out what they stand for apart from being against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, according to an expert.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's move to repeal farm reform laws in the face of persistent protests - his biggest policy U-turn since taking office - handed his opponents momentum ahead of crucial state elections. The question is whether they can finally take advantage.

So far, the splintered opposition hasn't demonstrated an ability to capitalize on the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party's missteps. Those divisions were apparent last month, when a convoy allegedly carrying the son of a top official in PM Modi's cabinet drove into a crowd of protesting farmers in Uttar Pradesh, killing eight people in total.

Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, a scion of once-powerful Nehru-Gandhi dynasty and a leader of the main opposition Congress party, was among the first to reach the crash site. Other PM Modi opponents in the state, which holds a key election early next year, also raced to the scene. But instead of joining forces, they all held separate rallies.

The competing political events highlighted a key reason PM Modi continues to dominate Indian politics: Opposition parties have failed to cooperate, effectively splitting the electorate who opposes his Hindu-dominant BJP.