On 25th October (Sunday), Brazil’s incumbent president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva defeated his challenger, Flavio Bolsonaro, who is the son of former president Jair Bolsonaro, in a tightly contested runoff election, securing an unprecedented fourth term. The electoral court declared Lula the winner with 51.8% of the vote compared to 48.2% for Bolsonaro, in a dramatic political clincher.
Afterwards, congratulatory messages flooded in for the 80-year-old from multiple world leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who shares a deep diplomatic and personal relationship with him.
He wrote, “My sincerest congratulations to my dear friend, President Lula, on his remarkable victory in the re-election. I look forward to working in close collaboration with him to further deepen and expand the multifaceted Strategic Partnership between India and Brazil. Together, we will continue to strengthen our cooperation in various sectors, promote the shared priorities of the Global South, and work towards a more inclusive, equitable, and sustainable world.”
Meus mais sinceros parabéns ao meu caro amigo, presidente Lula, por sua notável vitória na reeleição. Espero trabalhar em estreita colaboração com ele para aprofundar e ampliar ainda mais a multifacetada Parceria Estratégica entre a Índia e o Brasil. Juntos, continuaremos a fortalecer nossa cooperação em diversos setores, promover as prioridades compartilhadas do Sul Global e trabalhar em prol de um mundo mais inclusivo, equitativo e sustentável. @LulaOficial
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) October 26, 2026
PM Modi’s Brazilian counterpart reciprocated with equal warmth, extending thanks and fondly addressing him as “my friend.” He mentioned, “I cherish with joy the visit I made to India in February this year, when we took new steps to strengthen our Strategic Partnership, especially in the areas of trade, health, and technology.”
He congratulated India for hosting the 2026 BRICS summit, “continuing the work carried out by Brazil last year,” and similarly expressed that the two sides are going to keep partnering in the G20 and BRICS to “defend multilateralism, amplify the voice of the Global South, and build a more just, inclusive, and peaceful international order.”
Muito obrigado pelas palavras, meu amigo primeiro-ministro Narendra Modi, @narendramodi. Guardo com alegria a visita que fiz à Índia em fevereiro deste ano, quando demos novos passos para fortalecer nossa Parceria Estratégica, especialmente nas áreas de comércio, saúde e tecnologia. Parabenizo a Índia pela condução da presidência do BRICS em 2026, dando continuidade ao trabalho realizado pelo Brasil no ano passado. Seguiremos juntos, no BRICS e no G20, defendendo o multilateralismo, ampliando a voz do Sul Global e construindo uma ordem internacional mais justa, inclusiva e pacífica.
— Lula (@LulaOficial) October 26, 2026
While the two leaders demonstrated their strong rapport, the usual suspects of the opposition ecosystem who prefer to marinate in their echo chamber of propaganda, removed from actual ground realities, sought to characterise Lula’s success as a personal and political setback for PM Modi.
Communist Party of India (Marxist) veteran and former Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan chose to utilise the occasion to first hit out at the “far right” and swiftly switched to his primary goal of maligning the “Sangh Parivar” for its alleged divisive politics. He asserted that the development has “renewed hope in the struggle” against RSS for “a more just and democratic India.”
This duplicity has been the reason behind the shrinking political space for leftists in India. Kerala not only served as the primary base for the banned Popular Front of India (PFI) but also recorded the largest number of ISIS (Islamic State of Iraq and Syria) recruits and connected cases among Indian states.
However, there has been a persistent tendency to single out Hindus framed as critiques of their religious outfits while the real pressing threat is continuously ignored to appease the vote bank.
Heartfelt congratulations to Comrade Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva on his continued electoral success in Brazil. His victory reaffirms the enduring relevance of Left politics and the power of the working class to shape its own future. From Brazil to India, the lesson is clear that confronting the far right requires a systemic alternative rooted in workers’ rights, social justice and equality. @LulaOficial’s victory renews hope in the struggle against the Sangh Parivar’s divisive politics and for a more just and democratic India. #lula #brazil
— Pinarayi Vijayan (@pinarayivijayan) October 26, 2026
Amitabh Dubey, the media in-charge for research and monitoring at the All India Congress Committee, rushed to target the prime minister, claiming that his “friends are losing,” conveniently ignoring that he shares a tight bond with Lula, whose electoral triumph is being rejoiced as a potential turning point for Rahul Gandhi’s waning political fortunes.
Their deep-seated hatred for PM Modi has transformed into disdain for India and its people for their recurring rejection of the Gandhi scion, and has caused them to overlook a critical reality: robust international diplomatic relationships are cultivated to pursue national interests, a priority this coterie has often subordinated to the political ambitions of their political masters.
Modi’s friends are all losing 🇧🇷🇷🇸 Next up 🇺🇸 🇮🇱
— Amitabh Dubey (@dubeyamitabh) October 26, 2026
Indian National Congress leader Lavanya Balla further peddled the same propaganda, insisting that PM Modi’s friend Bolsonaro had lost and that Lula would have been branded a “dimagi naxal” had he been in India. The opposition has clearly mastered the art of projecting its own shortcomings onto others through accusations.
Your friend Bolsonaro lost. You would have called Lula a dimagi naxal if he were in India.
— Lavanya Ballal (@LavanyaBallal) October 26, 2026
Another “liberal” invoked Lula’s statement about Brazil not being anyone’s backyard to create a false equivalence with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), claiming that Gen Z is conveying the same message. He regurgitated the unfounded accusations of voter suppression and crony capitalism while adding that India cannot compromise its own interests for another country’s benefits.
India has shown unwavering resistance to pressure tactics from the United States on multiple fronts, from Operation Sindoor to Russian crude procurement and the Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA). The Modi government has repeatedly upheld its sovereignty by declining to capitulate to external demands. However, these inconvenient truths are willfully disregarded as they completely contradict the prevailing efforts of propaganda.
Tanmoy then stressed, “You cannot place personal interests above those of the nation while hiding behind the mask of false nationalism,” while the entire Islamo-leftist ecosystem cherry-picks facts, disseminates half-truths and outright falsehoods for its political agenda while masquerading as patriots.
"This Country does not accept being Anybody’s Backyard." 🔥 ~ Brazilian President Lula 🇧🇷 This Message is Equally Relevant to the RSS-BJP. They need to reflect on it, because this is exactly the message Gen Z is sending. – 𝐈𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐚 𝐢𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐛𝐨𝐝𝐲’𝐬 𝐏𝐫𝐢𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐁𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐲𝐚𝐫𝐝. Nobody has the Right to Take Away People’s Voting Rights at their Own Whim. – 𝐈𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐚 𝐢𝐬 𝐚 𝐒𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐢𝐠𝐧 𝐍𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧. It cannot Surrender to Another Country at the cost of someone’ Own Interests. – 𝐈𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐚 𝐢𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐛𝐨𝐝𝐲’𝐬 𝐏𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐲. The Nation’s Assets cannot be Handed Over to the Ruling Establishment’s Corporate Friends. 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐜𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐏𝐮𝐭 𝐏𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐬 above the Interests of The Nation while 𝐇𝐢𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐁𝐞𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐌𝐚𝐬𝐤 𝐨𝐟 𝐅𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐍𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐦. 🇮🇳 #Brazil #RahulGandhi #EleccionesBrasil2026
— তন্ময় l T͞anmoy l (@tanmoyofc) October 26, 2026
Darab Farooqui, exemplifying his profound commitment to the democratic principles that his faction purports to champion, insulted the Indian voters for exercising their constitutional right to elect PM Modi. He declared them “uneducated” for their decision to prevent his favoured political parties from coming to power.
Brazil tried Bolsonaro, saw the damage, and brought Lula back. India tried Modi, saw the damage, and kept voting for him. The difference? Education. An educated society recognises its mistakes and corrects them. An uneducated one defends them.
— Darab Farooqui (@darab_farooqui) October 26, 2026
Another member of this cohort mocked that PM Modi must have wept while congratulating Lula, representing yet another comment entirely stripped of an ounce of reality.
I know Modi cried while writing this 😂🤣
— Papaksh 🇵🇸 (@PapakshOfficial) October 26, 2026
The opposition and the Islamo-leftists have been busy portraying Lula and PM Modi as rivals, attacking the BJP and the RSS, or wanting a similar political outcome in India. Of course, there is nothing wrong with desiring a win for their favourite party.
However, painting Lula’s victory as a supposed downfall for PM Modi, while pushing a narrative that bears no resemblance to the actual dynamic between the two men, is nothing short of a laughable ploy to fabricate a psychological accomplishment out of their hopeless political situation that does not provide them any relief.
Lula and Modi: The ties transcending motivated political narratives
PM Modi and Lula initially met on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in Hiroshima in May 2023, which marked the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries. This resulted in the resumption of high-level engagement, which centred on “defence production, trade, pharmaceuticals, agriculture, dairy & animal husbandry and bio-fuels & clean energy.”
A few months later, Lula landed in India for the G20 Leaders Summit in September, after which the two leaders and US leadership co-launched the Global Biofuels Alliance (GBA) to standardise global sustainable biofuel trade. Additionally, Brazil supported India’s candidature for a non-permanent seat in the UNSC for the 2028-2029 term, in addition to prioritising pivotal issues like trade and defence.
Meanwhile, PM Modi’s maiden visit to Brazil under Lula’s presidency unfolded in November 2024 as India firmly supported Lula’s flagship “Global Alliance Against Hunger and Poverty.”
He subsequently embarked on an extensive official trip to the South American country to attend the BRICS summit in July 2025. PM Modi and Lula used the event to “reaffirm their resolve to bolster” the strategic partnership between their respective countries.
The official release highlighted, “Building on strong economic and technological complementarities between India and Brazil, the leaders decided to chart a strategic roadmap to further strengthen bilateral ties over the next decade around five priority pillars, including defence and security, food and nutritional security, energy transition and climate change, digital transformation and emerging technologies and industrial partnerships in strategic areas.”
Interestingly, Lula welcomed PM Modi to his official residence with his favourite Ram bhajan in a deeply personal and thoughtful gesture. He also received Brazil’s most prestigious civilian award, the Grand Collar of the National Order of the Southern Cross, underscoring the extensive and enduring ties between the two nations and their leaders.
“Gratitude to President Lula, the government and the people of Brazil. This illustrates the strong affection the people of Brazil have for the people of India. May our friendship scale even newer heights of success in the times to come,” PM Modi had expressed.
I’m honoured to have been conferred ‘The Grand Collar of the National Order of the Southern Cross.’ Gratitude to President Lula, the Government and the people of Brazil. This illustrates the strong affection the people of Brazil have for the people of India. May our friendship scale even newer heights of success in the times to come. @LulaOficial
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) July 8, 2025
Lula even spoke with PM Modi following US President Donald Trump’s imposition of 50% tariffs on Brazil, mirroring his bullying approach towards India, on which he slapped the same rate, which included 25% as punishment for buying Russian oil.
The duo recently met during Lula’s landmark five-day visit to India in February, where India and Brazil decided to double bilateral trade to $30 billion by 2030, along with inking agreements for joint ventures in critical minerals and the steel supply chain.
It is crucial to note that the Indian government is searching for new rare earth suppliers to support capacity expansion in the face of a global raw material race and to reduce reliance on an unpredictable China. Brazil is the world’s second-largest producer and exporter of iron ore, with huge deposits of minerals required for steel production, which is in high demand in India due to fast infrastructural growth.
Furthermore, Brazil showed interest in India’s Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) platforms as discussions about modifying UPI-based frameworks for specific industries, including healthcare, education and agriculture, took place. The duo similarly committed to bolstering bilateral exchanges in digital public infrastructure (DPI), artificial intelligence (AI), and other technologies as well, which they regarded as critical to national development and public service delivery.
“President Lula suggested that we try to integrate AI into DPI platforms to try and maximise utilisation of DPI platforms and use the data very effectively to drive policy initiatives. So there is a lot of mining and critical minerals. We already spoke about defence aircraft,” an official mentioned.
A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was signed with the Brazilian corporation Embraer, and Lula stated a production or assembly line will be set up to produce regional planes in India. PM Modi also requested that Embraer should construct a maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) facility in the country in line with the “Make in India” program.
Lula promoted the exploration of the adoption of the Brazilian real and the rupee for trade payments. Importantly, the trade between India and Brazil has risen by more than 25% from $12.2 billion in 2024 to $15.21 billion in 2025 and reached $8.77 billion in the first half of 2026, up over 37% from the same time last year.
Conclusion
The two prominent voices of the Global South, which India has consistently represented and championed, have repeatedly discussed their shared priorities and forged a warm and mutually beneficial association, as well as stood by each other on many issues at international forums. Lula’s reaction to PM Modi’s latest tweet is yet another reflection of the camaraderie between the pair.
However, the perpetually bitter opposition and its cheerleaders, with little to celebrate of their own, have now decided to exploit the octogenarian president’s return to office to spin fanciful narratives and make baseless comments towards PM Modi, whom they have repeatedly failed to defeat on the political battleground.
