Israel’s Likud among foreign parties to witness election
Representatives of 18 political parties from 10 countries have arrived in India on the invitation of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to witness the Lok Sabha election. This is the rst time that so many parties have been invited by the BJP that had earlier hosted heads of missions stationed in India and political parties from the neighbourhood. The delegation includes representatives of Israel’s ruling Likud party, though no Arab political party was on the list shared by the BJP.
Israel’s Likud party is at the centre-stage of global politics because of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s campaign against the Gaza Strip. India’s o£cial position supports a two-state solution to the Israel-Palestinian crisis.
The current team being hosted by the BJP includes the Liberal Party of Australia, Likud party of Israel, Awami League of Bangladesh, Uganda’s National Resistance Movement, Tanzania’s Chama Cha Mapinduzi and Russia’s United Russia Party.
Political parties from Sri Lanka that have sent delegates for the visit are Podujana Peramuna and the United National Party. From Nepal, the Nepali Congress is among the visitors along with the Janamat Party and Rashtriya Swatantra Party.
On Wednesday, BJP president J.P. Nadda and External Aairs Minister S. Jaishankar met the delegation at the party headquarters.
India does not have a policy of hosting observers during the election but visitors from other countries are known to y in during the poll season to experience the unique election system of India.