From rocky route to “old wine in new bottle,” NDA vs. “INDIA”
As the road to 2024 twists and turns, political coalition leaders criticized each other.
NEW DELHI: With battlelines drawn for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the newly formed opposition alliance ‘INDIA’ on Wednesday braced for a bumpy ride from ironing out state differences to seat sharing and choosing its leader, even as the ruling BJP called the coalition “old wine in a new bottle.”
A day after 26 opposition parties formed the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) to unite against the ruling BJP-led NDA at the Centre, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and the Congress denied rumours that the JD(U) leader was dissatisfied for not being named convenor.
Kumar, who hosted the first massive opposition gathering in Patna last month, also said he has no ambition and that leaders at the opposition summit in Bengaluru on Tuesday were pleased with the results.
West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee said the BJP was “shivering with fear” after the opposition coalition was formed, while Congress leader Jairam Ramesh told PTI there is a “new enthusiasm” among Indians.
Ramesh and Banerjee made their claims as senior BJP leader and former Himachal Pradesh chief minister PK Dhumal predicted the opposition front will collapse “like a pack of cards” before the Lok Sabha polls.
BSP head Mayawati called the NDA and INDIA coalitions “anti-Dalit” and said her party would run alone in the Lok Sabha and Assembly elections in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, and Telangana.
On Tuesday, the 39 constituents of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in Delhi endorsed a resolution saying the opposition is struggling with identity and relevance. “Today, the opposition is confused and disoriented,” the resolution added.
Modi addressed the meeting. The BJP also posted three short films on social media depicting its opponents as ten-headed Ravana.
The BJP said in a video that the opposition alliance lacks a policy, vision, and leader, confusing the public.
In the Maharashtra Assembly, a Samajwadi Party (SP) politician asked if singing “Vande Mataram” was their idea of “INDIA,” prompting the BJP to criticise the opposition.
After SP MLA Abu Azmi declared singing “Vande Mataram” was inappropriate in the Assembly while discussing the Sambhajinagar district riots, the BJP responded.
“Is I.N.D.I.A? Or anti-India? “SP is a part of this alleged I.N.D.I.A,” BJP national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla tweeted, criticising the new partnership.
“Someone does not change by changing the name,” Union Minister Pralhad Joshi remarked of opposition parties’ coalition name INDIA. Same folks. Old wine in a new bottle.”
The new alliance chose “Jeetega Bharat” as its Lok Sabha election slogan. Sources stated the Hindi tagline “India will win” will be translated into many regional languages.
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