The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has invited representatives of the United Russia Party to get a "first-hand experience and insights" into the Lok Sabha election campaign of India's ruling party, according to a press statement on Wednesday.
Headed by former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, the United Russia Party commands a majority of 325 seats in Russia's 450-member State Duma, or the state legislature.
In a statement by BJP's Foreign Policy Department, its chief Vijay Chauthaiwale stated that representatives of 18 political parties from 10 countries have been invited to India.
"The representatives will be meeting BJP National President JP Nadda on 1 May, 2024 at the BJP headquarters in New Delhi. They will also be interacting with Dr S Jaishankar (Minister of External Affairs) and Ashwini Vaishnaw (Union Minister of Railways )," the BJP statement said.
"They will be briefed about BJP’s election campaign strategies along with the overall electoral process," it stated.
The other political parties invited by the BJP include Awami League, the ruling party in Bangladesh, Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) and United National Party (UNP) from Sri Lanka, Australia's main opposition Liberal Party, the Communist Party of Vietnam, Nepal's ruling and opposition party as well as Israel's Likud Party, chaired by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, among others.
The visit by foreign political representatives takes place in the lead-up to the third phase of voting on 7 May in India's seven-phase parliamentary election, which concludes on 1 June.
The results of the election will be announced on 4 June, according to the Election Commission of India (ECI).