NEW DELHI: As the road to 2024 begins, it may prove to be an uphill battle for the Opposition alliance INDIA bloc in its face-off against the formidable BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in the high-stake Lok Sabha elections.
For the embattled Congress, the principal player in the Opposition bloc, the narrative for 2024 is mainly woven around the Nyay guarantees for various sections of the society against the NDA’s ‘Modi ki guarantee’. The party may also capitalize on the revelations by the State Bank of India on the electoral bond scheme, which benefitted the BJP. The scheme was struck down by the court as unconstitutional.
The grand old party is also hopeful of gaining some electoral dividends from the second leg of the Bharat Jodo Yatra, undertaken by former Congress president Rahul Gandhi. The yatra will be concluded on Sunday with a mammoth rally of the INDIA bloc constituents. Though the Opposition may be trying to send out a message of unity through its rally, the grouping is still struggling to overcome the internal contradictions.
The first major blow to the bloc was the exit of Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who joined the NDA camp. Kumar, the architect of the alliance, was apparently peeved with the delay in seat-sharing talks.
However, recovering from the initial shock, the bloc has successfully stitched a few alliances in states like Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, and Goa, among others.
A senior leader points out that though the alliance was formed as the first step towards creating a viable alternative to the BJP for the 2024 election, it failed to build a narrative and a common agenda for the parties. While the Congress sealed alliances with the SP and AAP after prolonged talks, the party is still hoping to ally with TMC in West Bengal. The defeat of the Congress in the Hindi heartland states of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Chhattisgarh further deepened the rift among the partners.
The crucial question for the alliance is whether they will be able to neutralize the BJP’s Mission 400 battle cry with an effective counter. The Congress, which is banking on the pitch for its five ‘Nyay’ guarantees, will be facing off with the BJP in 250 seats in the Hindi-speaking states. Whether these guarantees will result in the Opposition’s electoral resurgence, only time will tell.