Major Cracks in INDIA Opposition Group

Towards the 2024 general elections, there have been major developments in the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) by opposition parties to take on BJP. Chief Ministers (CMs) from Panjab and Bengal have expressed the intention to fight it alone in their respective states. AAP Panjab CM Bhagwant Mann and Trinamool Congress (TMC) West Bengal CM Mamta Banerjee are not keen on staying in the alliance. Banerjee said, ‘I gave INC many proposals but they rejected them. I am not concerned about what will be done in the [rest of the] country. We will fight alone.’ The INC reacted differently towards the belligerent allies. While the INC did not respond to Mann because they are dealing with AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal, they are trying to placate Banerjee who is both head of TMC and CM. The varied response appears to be the Congress’ strategy to push a different model for seat-sharing in each state. In Haryana, Arvind Kejriwal said AAP will fight Lok Sabha elections as part of INDIA but will go for assembly elections alone. Also, within the last week, Bihar CM Nitish Kumar of Janta Dal (United), or JD(U), broke his alliance with Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and his commitment to INDIA to instead join hands with BJP. Kumar became the CM of Bihar for the 9th time. Since 2013, when Kumar broke JD(U)’s 17-year-old alliance with BJP, he has been going back and forth on his alliance with RJD. This indicates a deep crisis in India’s electoral democracy, where voters are taken for granted and leaders play truant. (SDW Vol. 2 Issue 4, Story 6).