With the countdown for the Lok Sabha polls nearing each passing day until April-May next year, Opposition’s I.N.D.I.A bloc, which assembled on a single stage to oust the BJP government from the Centre, is hoping to make inroads to the corridors of power by the end of 2024 Lok Sabha polls. As part of this, the Opposition grand alliance, comprising over 25 parties, have held three meetings so far and will reassemble today (December 19) in the national capital, this time aiming to formulate a winning seat-sharing formula.
Among the top agenda for the meeting will be preparation of a joint campaign blueprint to take on the BJP, after suffering a massive setback in the recently concluded Assembly elections in the Hindi heartland – Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh. Congress had managed to win Telangana with a majority, giving it a ray of hope in the polls considered as semi final ahead of the 2024 final.
Opposition’s PM face
West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC chief Mamata Banerjee said that the prime ministerial candidate of the alliance will be decided by the parties after the general elections. She expressed confidence in sorting out all issues and coming to an agreement over the seat-sharing with other parties, to challenge the BJP.
She also dismissed suggestions that the alliance has lost time in putting things in order, saying "it is better late than never".
Mamata also exuded confidence in the possibility of stitching a three-way alliance in West Bengal between TMC, Congress and the Left.
"The BJP is not strong, we are weak. We need to work together to overcome it," Mamata said in response to a question on the BJP's rising influence, especially in the Hindi belt.
She said that she is ready to campaign for alliance partners across the country.
The TMC chief also called on Delhi Chief Minister and AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal and discussed the political situation in the country.
Tejashwi Yadav on poll preparations
Bihar Deputy CM Tejashwi Yadav, who arrived in the national capital, said that the committees which were formed earlier have been working behind the scenes and preparations for the polls were underway.
He said that the regional parties are very strong and everyone in the alliance will play a part.
"Wherever there are regional parties, the BJP is no where to be seen. Most of the regional parties are with INDIA bloc," the RJD leader said.
When asked about the Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's role in the INDIA bloc going forward, he said everyone's role is the same and everyone's objective is the same which is to oust “divisive forces” from power.
Nitish Kumar and Uddhav Thackeray arrived in Delhi on Monday evening for the meeting.
Challenges before the I.N.D.I.A bloc
Among the mammoth challenges that the Opposition’s alliance is confronted with are seat sharing and a programme to hold joint rallies and also evolving a core positive agenda.
The parties intend to move forward with the unity theme - "Main Nahin, Hum" (We, Not Me) - as a counter to Prime Minister Modi at the meeting, a senior Congress leader said.
The key challenge before the leaders of various opposition parties, who have come together to fight the BJP in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, is also to come up with an alternative common programme as a counter to the ruling dispensation.
The immediate challenge before the INDIA bloc is also to build a consensus on having a convener, a spokesperson and a common secretariat, as it is a tricky issue due to differences among its constituents.
The recent victory of the BJP in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh has also put more pressure on opposition parties to put up a united face.
Seat-sharing agreements and strategy
According to sources, some parties like Samajwadi Party and the DMK are likely to finalise their seat-sharing with the Congress in Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.
However, West Bengal, Kerala, Punjab and Delhi continue to remain sticking points among the alliance partners, as none are ready to give in.
With some issues like the narrative of holding a caste census not resonating well within the electorates in the Assembly polls, the Opposition leaders may well return to the drawing board to chalk out a new strategy.
“Also, plans for joint rallies by the opposition would have to be finalised soon as the last one scheduled to be held in Bhopal in October before the assembly polls had to be cancelled,” the sources said.
Congress, which suffered crushing defeats in the Hindi heartland in the Assembly elections, finds itself in a weaker position within the alliance, as compared to the previous meeting which took place before the five-state polls.
Equations within the INDIA bloc are set to change, as other opposition parties would challenge its position as the fulcrum of the alliance.
Undeterred by the recent defeats, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge has said that they will move forward to take on the BJP with a positive agenda and will highlight people's issues.
This will be the fourth meeting of the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA). Its first meeting was held in Patna on June 23. Its second meeting was held in Bengaluru on July 17-18 and the third in Mumbai between August 31 and September 1, where the 27 parties had adopted resolutions to unitedly contest the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.
(With PTI inputs)
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