The INDIA alliance is far from a cohesive entity. The chinks in its armour are there for all to see and fathom. Yet, the leaders of the alliance are mindful of the fact that the only way to face the BJP-led NDA is to stand united and face the coming parliament polls. With the alliance of the Opposition demonstrating its relevance, if not might, by winning a set of assembly byelections in various states a week ago, there is increasing frenzy in their ranks about a possibility of ousting the BJP from power through a united push. However, at state levels, a similar unity is unlikely to materialize. Even in the Lok Sabha polls, INDIA alliance can work out a seat-sharing arrangement in several states, but not all states. Fact is that they have nothing much in common other than a goal to defeat the BJP and share power at the Centre. AAP chief minister Arvind Kejriwal has made it clear that the opposition alliance would be irrelevant if the Congress decides to go it alone in Delhi for the Lok Sabha polls. Unity in the opposition ranks is still a far cry.
However, differences are not holding back the opposition leaders from taking the push forward. They have decided to hold public meetings across the country to demonstrate their collective might. The first such meeting would be held in the first week of October in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, where assembly polls are round the corner. The first INDIA coordination committee meeting held in Delhi has also decided to immediately start the seat-sharing talks. A sense of urgency is gripping them amid speculations of the Modi government pushing the One Nation, One Poll agenda and the likelihood of an advancement of parliament polls. It was with this in mind that the opposition alliance has also decided to zero in on the caste-census issue. This could turn out to be a counter to the BJP’s Hindutva-based push to polarize Hindu votes. Large sections of Hindus being in the lower castes, the opposition alliance is aiming at dividing the Hindu votes and get the numerically stronger segments of the population from among the backward castes to the anti-BJP fold. It is more or less certain that this could form the basis for the INDIA alliance’s campaign strategy for the coming parliament polls. The SP in Uttar Pradesh, the RJD and other non-BJP parties in Bihar could be depended upon to lead the anti-BJP charge in these states. So would the DMK in Tamil Nadu. Clearly, the INDIA alliance’s strategy is to effectively neutralize the BJP-led NDA in the coming polls.
