Several opposition leaders assembled in New Delhi for the INDI Alliance meeting amidst the reduced opposition strength in the parliament to discuss the future strategy to take on the BJP in the upcoming general elections in 2024. The focus of the meeting was to zero in on the PM candidate for the alliance and to fast-track the seat-sharing discussion for the Lok Sabha elections.
Initially set for December 6, the meeting was rescheduled due to the unavailability of key leaders, including Mamata Banerjee, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar of Bihar, and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge’s name was proposed by alliance members, most notably by TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee and AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal, as the Prime Ministerial candidate for the INDI Alliance. Kharge, however, has refused to be the alliance’s PM face, stating that the opposition should first focus on winning the election and wait for the results before arriving at their PM nominee.
As per reports, the Trinamool Congress Party and several other alliance partners set December 31 as the deadline for the seat-sharing talks, which has been an Achilles heel from the start, given the competing interests among the opposition parties to be a part of an alliance with other opposition parties but simultaneously expand their political sphere of influence beyond their respective regions.
Media reports also quoted sources saying regional parties could exert pressure on Congress to accommodate allies, especially after the feud between the Samajwadi Party and Congress during the Madhya Pradesh assembly elections. Congress has a weak hand going into the INDI alliance discussion, given that the results of the recently concluded assembly elections have painted a grim picture for the grand old party in India’s Hindi heartland, which could encourage INDI alliance partners to seek an increased number of seats should the talks on seat-sharing go through, political analysts closely observing how the dynamics of the opposition alliance are playing out said.
While seat-sharing and PM face were central subjects of the meeting, the opposition parties said the immediate focus of the alliance was to protest against the suspension of their leaders. To that end, the opposition parties have decided to hold a nationwide protest on December 22 to oppose the suspension of their MPs.
Speaking about the discussion that took place in the meeting, CPI General Secretary D Raja says, “There was a reference to the common minimum program. Now, it has been decided first to take up the issue of suspension of MPs because it is an onslaught on our democracy, it is an attack on our parliamentary system. So there should be protests across the country and the call has been given for a mass protest”
“Nothing (on the PM candidate)… We have given a call for mass protest across the country in all state headquarters on 22nd (December)… We should conclude the seat-sharing arrangement as early as possible, and we’ll have to put up a strong collective fight against BJP…” D Raja said.
