Questions are being asked about the future of the INDI alliance as differences among its constituents have come to the fore, and several parties call for serious introspection by the Congress after a string of electoral losses.
The latest is the statement of Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Abu Azmi, who said “ The Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), which was considered as local offshoot of INDI alliance, never respected us. Uddhav Thackeray and his party had said that they would leave communalism and join hands with secular forces. However, he and his party have once again hailed those who demolished Babri masjid.”
The leaders of other parties of INDI alliance (other than Congress) have started speaking against ‘the dominance of the Congress in the alliance’. Questions are also being raised by some leaders on Rahul Gandhi’s leadership in the Congress.
There are many disagreements on various issues, and during this time Mamata Banerjee has expressed dissatisfaction with INDI alliance’s functioning, while signaling her intent to take charge of the alliance if given opportunity. She said, she can manage the dual responsibility of running the opposition front while continuing in her role as CM of West Bengal.
All eyes are now on the Congress over its next move, as it finds itself isolated in the Parliament on several matters, such as protests on the Adani issue and farmers’ problem, with many of its partners staying away.
One of the SP leader said his party is still in INDI alliance, but admitted that differences of opinion exists within the alliance. As per leader of the Communist party, Congress president Mallikarjun Khadge is the chairperson of INDI alliance, and he should respond to all these issues. He however, added that the Congress has to be more accommodative towards its partners and should do some serious introspection.
Janata Dal-United (JDU) which was originally the founder member of INDI alliance, but later switched over to NDA (BJP led alliance), as per its senior leader “The INDI alliance has always been prone to disintegration. Now, it is just a formality so that effects of its disintegration could be transformed to reality. During the last year’s Assembly poll in Chhattisgarh, MP, and Rajasthan, the SP had expressed surprise at the Congress’s stand after the latter refused to get into any seat-sharing arrangement”.
As per one of the senior BJP leader, the INDI alliance was always opportunistic, and it is a divided house of hypocrisy. The bitter bickering among them, which is now in the open, is because the INDI alliance feels that Rahul Gandhi’s failed leadership is the reason for its repeated defeats in elections.
Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) who is also part of INDI alliance, through its national spoke person has given the opinion that ‘leaders of all the constituent parties of INDI alliance should meet and decide on who should lead the alliance’.
The Maharashtra State unit Chief of SP pointed out that ‘ we were never called for coordination meeting of the MVA. We wanted coordination it was the LOK Sabha polls, but the Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT) and NCP (SP) kept fighting with each other over seat sharing. That is why we (MVA) lost the Maharashtra Assembly election.
More than 32 leaders of 17 political parties had attended the first meeting of INDI alliance. That time Mallikarjun Khadge had said “ We will have to evolve separate plans for every state and work together to dethrone BJP from centre”
But what public saw, after this alliance was formed, constant bickering among the constituent partners, no proper coordination, problems in seat sharing. Where ever the one constituent was strong in particular state, it was seen that it was not willing to concede seats to other alliance partners. AAP in Delhi and Punjab, SP in UP, JMM in Jharkhand, TMC in West Bengal, DMK in Tamil Nadu are the clear cases of such matter.
Even recently AAP announced that in the coming State Assembly election of Delhi, it will fight solo, indicating that it will not share any seats with other INDI alliance partners.
It looks like the INDI alliance is only for name sake now, as all the constituent partners are going their own where ever they are stronger. Now if the INDI alliance has to survive one strong leader has to take charge of the alliance, to keep the alliance partner together, and making all the partners more accommodative.
I am still not sure, who is one leader who will be accepted to all the constituent parties, because Congress leadership has failed the INDI alliance.
Waiting for your feedback on this blog.
Anil Malik
Mumbai, India
9th December 2024.
Today I have achieved one more milestone by publishing my 1600th Blog.