Following days of uncertainty, Nitish Kumar made an important decision to end relations with the opposition INDIA coalition partner and allied again with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). This was his fifth change of stance within a decade.
In support of his choice, Nitish Kumar explained that he worked great with the Rashtriya Janata Dal both in Bihar and together with Congress when dealing nationwide. He revealed that it was only after negotiations with other leaders within the party that he thought tactically to resign as it seemed impossible for them to proceed forward while in alliance.
With its official separation from the Congress party, the Janata Dal United (JDU) blamed them for imposing the collapse of the INDIA alliance. As per KC Tyagi, a party spokesperson, the Congress was accused of attempting to hijack the leadership of the coalition.
To better understand this fascinating political shift, let’s take a closer look at how I.N.D.I.A. came into existence.
What is the I.N.D.I.A. Alliance?
On the second day of a meeting in Bengaluru, 26 opposition parties took the initiative to band together and form an effective opposition against the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
At the two-day meeting in Bengaluru, faces from Congress like Sonia Gandhi, Mamata Banerjee (TMC), along with Kharge and Rahul—the party’s chief ministers M K Stalin, Nitish Kumar, Arvind Kejriwal and Hemant Soren first met RJD chief Lalu Prasad.
The common rallying cry “United We Stand” united the opposition. The opposition leaders spread passion around their belief that this meeting could become a turning point in reorganizing Indian politics’ trajectory.
Mallikarjun Kharge was not referring only to the site of a meeting when he took it to Twitter, in an indirect poke at BJP and its tactics of using allies as vote banks but dumping them later.
The following parties have come together to form the I.N.D.I.A. Alliance
- Indian National Congress
- Aam Aadmi Party
- All India Forward Bloc
- All India Trinamool Congress
- Communist Party of India
- Communist Party of India (Marxist)
- Communist Party of India (Marxist–Leninist) Liberation
- Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam
- Indian Union Muslim League
- Jammu & Kashmir National Conference
- Jammu and Kashmir People’s Democratic Party
- Jharkhand Mukti Morcha
- Kerala Congress (M)
- Nationalist Congress Party
- Rashtriya Janata Dal
- Rashtriya Lok Dal
- Revolutionary Socialist Party
- Samajwadi Party
- Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray)
The Extensive fight between the INDIA Alliances
The experiences of state elections represent crucial stages in our political walk, which give us lessons and provide information about the effectiveness of our policies. They provide opportunities for ruling and opposition parties to refine their respective strategies along our journey. But in a country such as India, so large and populous, with its wide variety of cultures and languages, to have several elections is essential for keeping our democracy vibrant and all-embracing. Without frequent opportunities for individuals to speak up and parties to adapt repeatedly, we will inevitably devolve into a position of political inflexibility.
So, what can we learn from the 2023 elections, especially those in Karnataka? Well, they’ve highlighted a clear divide in our political landscape, particularly between the north and south. It’s becoming evident that the Gangetic belt is leaning heavily towards the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Even the impressive efforts of leaders like Ashok Gehlot in Rajasthan didn’t sway voters away from their inclination towards Modi in national elections.
In the northern states, Modi’s influence was palpable. However, the Congress missed a chance to test the waters for the newly formed INDIA coalition, much like their misstep in West Bengal where they chose to compete against the Trinamool Congress alongside the Left, ignoring the potential benefits of unity.
In the south, Modi’s charisma didn’t seem to resonate as strongly in Karnataka and Telangana. Instead, people saw the Congress as the primary alternative to the ruling parties. Effective leadership at the state level, along with public disillusionment with previous administrations due to perceived corruption, led to the BJP’s decline in Karnataka and the Bharat Rashtra Samithi’s (BRS) setbacks in Telangana. In these states, the Modi factor didn’t seem to hold as much sway as expected.
Conclusion
Despite all the plans and efforts (assuming the INDIA alliance manages to come together), they might still find it challenging to counter the widespread influence of Modi. Even if the alliance doesn’t win, their ability to regroup and continue the fight depends on their capacity to reduce the BJP’s dominance in parliament significantly. Looking ahead to after 2026, when parliamentary boundaries are redrawn, states in the south and elsewhere that have historically followed family planning guidelines may see their representation in parliament decrease. This could give the BJP a significant advantage, potentially securing their control over Delhi for many years.
Several contentious issues like language, the Uniform Civil Code (UCC), the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), and constitutional provisions may surface again, causing divisions within the country. The opposition weakened by losses in two states may lack the strength to oppose changes to the constitution or even its complete overhaul. The decisions made in the coming months will have a lasting impact on Indian politics, shaping the direction of governance for years to come.
This stage is fabulous. The splendid material exhibits the proprietor’s enthusiasm. I’m overwhelmed and expect additional such incredible substance.