In India, the opposition grouping that calls itself INDIA bloc is faltering, united in name only. Formed in 2023 ahead of the general elections, the alliance was meant to unitedly take on the ruling BJP.
Despite many contradictions and differences over seat sharing (for example, the Congress and AAP fought together in Delhi but separately in Punjab), the opposition numbers went up significantly in the Lok Sabha polls and kept the BJP down to 240 seats, well below the majority mark of 272.
However, 6 months later, whatever fragile coalition existed now appears to be teetering. The poor performance of the main opposition party and the head of the INDIA bloc, the Congress, in recent state elections has cast a huge shadow and exposed the simmering tensions within. With the Congress getting hammered in Haryana and Maharashtra, its allies are speaking up now urging “introspection”.
Whether with the JKNC in Jammu and Kashmir or the JMM in Jharkhand, the Congress has been a difficult partner with its regional allies and its electoral performance has not matched its big demands for seats and cabinet posts. The CPI has been miffed about being sidelined in seat sharing and openly asked for the Congress to look within.
Disagreements within Opposition
Now, the Congress’ insistence on hijacking issues that the opposition should raise during the Parliament session has caused more unease within the grouping. While Rahul Gandhi wants to keep the focus on industrialist Gautam Adani and a US indictment against him for alleged bribery allegations, other parties in the opposition ranks did not want the House stalled over this.
The Samajwadi Party wanted to do raise the issue of communal tensions in Sambhal in UP, others wanted to talk about Manipur. Some opposition MPs have privately said they are fed up of disruptions in parliament and need to be seen raising issues that are relevant for their voters.
The weak link in the INDIA bloc is undoubtedly the Congress. But other parties too have been difficult. Look at the TMC, whose leader Mamata Banerjee was miffed in INDIA meetings multiple times and refused any sort of seat sharing arrangement with the Congress. Now Mamata says she can lead the alliance better, and appears to have got Sharad Pawar’s support for the same. That frankly doesn’t cut ice.
INDIA bloc is pretty dead
Mamata was instrumental in opposing Nitish Kumar as convener of the alliance leading to his exit and his realignment with the NDA. Similarly, the AAP has gone ahead and announced no alliance for the Delhi assembly polls that are due in the next few weeks. In Maharashtra, the Samajwadi Party has decided to walk out of the opposition MVA grouping.
The fact is the INDIA bloc is pretty dead already. Some senior Congress leaders insist that despite differences at the state level, the INDIA bloc is essentially a national alliance to take on the BJP. But what are they doing? They have not held a single meeting since the Lok Sabha polls. There is nothing that ideologically binds them together except for opposing the BJP.
And lack of coherence on issues means there is no real alternative agenda that they are offering to voters except to say “Modi is bad”. They have no common programme, not even joint rallies or public meetings.
The death of veteran Left leader Sitaram Yechury, who was an important behind the scenes player in bringing everyone together, has been a big blow to the INDIA bloc. So has Sonia Gandhi’s decision to keep a lower profile now.
Today, Indian elections have become far more complex and are increasingly localised, depending on state to state. The Congress party’s problem is that they believe one slogan, such as going after Adani, will work in all elections. It has not.
Every state has unique issues which they need to address while giving more space to their regional allies wherever they are stronger. But more fundamentally, the INDIA bloc is faltering because several parties in it have only their self interest in mind with no common thread that binds them together.
