Upcoming state elections in India will be key in gauging whether opposition parties can form a united front to challenge Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on a national scale. Seven Indian states are scheduled to hold assembly elections in 2022. The northern state of Uttar Pradesh, where 80 lower house seats will be up for grabs, will be especially instrumental for any party looking to increase their presence in the lower house of India’s national parliament in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. A landslide BJP victory in Uttar Pradesh would also increase the likelihood of the ruling party winning next year’s presidential election, which will likely be held in the summer or fall, in addition to maintaining its parliamentary majority in 2024 — further cementing the BJP’s position in India’s political sphere.