The stunning victory of Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva in Brazil's presidential election is of both national and global significance. The defeat of the right-wing Senator ‌Flavio Bolsonaro, son of former President Jair Bolsonaro, stems the rising tide of pro-US right-wing victories in Latin America. Like his father, Bolsonaro Junior refused to gracefully concede defeat and instead called for the annulment of the result, which analysts said was highly unfounded.

Lula’s victory is also remarkable as he lagged behind his rival in the first round which triggered a second round in which he bagged 51.79% votes and roughly 4.4 million votes more than Bolsonaro. Brazil follows a two-round voting system under which, if no candidate gets an absolute majority in the first round, a second round (run-off) follows three weeks later.In the first round, many voters appeared to have been caught on the horns of dilemma and eventually got swayed not only by Bolsonaro’s campaigning but also by external interference in the form of US President Donald Trump’s implicit support and social media giant Meta’s alleged machinations.

However, in the run-off, Lula succeeded, which is being attributed to the successful implementation of a progressive agenda of reducing poverty and Amazon deforestation to record levels. In the coming terms, his government however will have daunting challenges to deal with, especially surging debt and inflation and political constraints to initiate reforms or take corrective measures.Lula’s centre-left Workers’ Party also executed innovative and aggressive campaigning in the run-off election. Besides on-the-ground mobilisation to boost turnout — after voter apathy marked the first round — the party used messaging platform WhatsApp for digital campaigning. Millions of voters reportedly joined WhatsApp groups like "Lula’s Army," which were instrumental in executing the orchestrated campaign. It was a classic case of fighting fire with fire. Platforms like Meta were accused of deliberately limiting the reach of Lula’s campaign, prompting Brazil’s top electoral court to step in and demand fair treatment. Lula’s supporters also protested outside Meta's offices, though the tech giant denied bias.

Seen in the global context, the election results will pose a challenge to US and Trump’s ambitions to exert influence and control over South America as in at least nine countries where elections were held in recent years have seen the victory of right-wing parties. Bolsonaro’s defeat has cut off the potential US access to Brazil’s resources, especially rare earth reserves, which are critical to reduce dependence on China. The US might continue to use tariffs and trade measures to maintain leverage and bring Brazil to the diplomatic negotiating table.

Diplomatically, Lula’s victory ensures continuity in the India-Brazil relationship. A Bolsonaro win would not have fundamentally altered bilateral ties either. However, Lula’s presidency gives an edge to India, as his opposition to unilateral Western influence and support for UN reforms align with India’s ethos of strategic autonomy and multi-alignment. Domestically, Lula’s playbook — combining aggressive ground mobilisation and digital savvy campaigning — may offer valuable lessons for opposition parties in India.