The battle lines are drawn for the high-stakes 2024 Parliament Polls. The grouping of 26 opposition parties met in Bengaluru and the 38-member NDA held discussions in the national capital on the same day, but both stopped short of raising a war cry. Clearly both are biding their time. Yet, some aspects stand out. The opposition grouping has shed its UPA baggage and re-christened itself as Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA). The leaders failed to catch the fancy of the nation and its 1.35 billion people. Brevity is the soul of wit. This lack of imagination showed up also in the way the conclave zeroed in on the present issues. Mallikarjun Kharge, who set the tone for the discussions, said the Congress does not seek power or PM post but wants to ”save” the nation, protect democracy, secularism and the Constitution and ensure Social Justice. These are clichés that, due to overuse, lost their meaning, except that the cause of upholding secularism has a significance in the fight against the BJP and PM Modi. The rest do not strike a chord with the common man.
More importantly, how advisable was it for the Congress to declare that it can give the PM post on a platter to its allies if the alliance wins the polls – more so as it being a behemoth, the main opposition formation. Question is, will the people be comfortable with handing over the reins of national governance to one among the greedy regional satraps. It is precisely here that the BJP is now seeking to discredit the Opposition – by putting up flex boards near the conclave venue in Bengaluru, saying Nitish Kumar is their “PM nominee.” Many would laugh at this. Rather, the Congress party should show the nerve to stand in the front. This should be reassuring to the voters, given the past experience of ramshackle coalitions of regionalists forming governments at the Centre and falling by the wayside in a jiffy.
By avoiding the crafting of a minimum programme or a joint manifesto for INDIA, it is safe to assume that the Opposition is planning a repeat of the successful game the Congress played at the final hour in Karnataka –promising the moon to the people in the form of pension to housewives and free travel to women on state-run buses. It must however be noted that the Opposition is far from united. The ruling parties of Odisha, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh kept away from the Opposition conclaves. This is where the BJP is sensing an opportunity — that in case it falls short of a majority, help is at hand for the NDA.