Bengaluru/New Delhi: During a meeting in Bengaluru Tuesday, 26 opposition parties christened their coalition as ‘INDIA’, short for ‘Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance’.
At the meeting — held to discuss a strategy to take on the BJP-led NDA alliance in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections — the 26 parties also decided to form an 11-member coordination committee to chalk out the modalities of this alliance. The names of coordinators and convenor for this committee will be decided at the next meeting, to be held in Mumbai. A ‘secretariat’ will also be set up in Delhi for election campaign management.
Speaking to media persons following the meeting, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said, “The fight is now between INDIA and NDA”.
“You know whenever anyone stands against India, who wins. We have decided that we will form an action plan where together we will talk about our ideology for the country and what we will do for the country. The fight is between India and the BJP. The fight is between India and Mr Modi,” said Rahul Gandhi.
According to sources, the name INDIA was suggested by Trinamool Congress (TMC) chief Mamata Banerjee and seconded by the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) head M.K. Stalin.
“First she (Mamata) suggested Indian National Democratic Alliance. But finally we came up with the ‘Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance’. So, all the 26 parties have agreed to this proposal,” said Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) MP Thol. Thirumavalavan to ThePrint.
Congress sources, however, have said that the name was suggested by Rahul Gandhi at the dinner Monday and was agreed upon by all parties today.
The 26 parties present at the Opposition meeting included the Congress, DMK, TMC, Janata Dal (United), Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), Shiv Sena (UBT), Communist Party of India (Marxist), Communist Party of India, Communist Party of India (Marxist–Leninist), Samajwadi Party, Jammu & Kashmir National Conference, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Jharkhand Mukti Morcha, Aam Aadmi Party, Rashtriya Lok Dal, MDML, VCK, Revolutionary Socialist Party, Kongu Desa Makkal Katchi, Forward Block, Indian Union Muslim League, Kerala Congress (Joseph), Kerala Congress (Mani), Apna Dal (Kamerawadi) and Manithaneya Makkal Katchi.
“So, 2024 will be Team INDIA vs Team NDA. Chak De, India,” tweeted Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi.
In the resolution adopted by the alliance, all parties said that the “character” of the republic was being assaulted in a systematic manner by the BJP.
“We are at a most crucial juncture in our nation’s history. The foundational pillars of the Indian Constitution — secular democracy, economic sovereignty, social justice and federalism — are being methodically and menacingly undermined,” said the resolution, accessed by ThePrint.
It also expressed concerns over PM Modi’s silence on Manipur, as well as the role of governors and lieutenant governors in non-BJP ruled states. The BJP’s alleged misuse of agencies like the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and Enforcement Directorate (ED) was also mentioned.
The resolution also vowed to implement the caste census.
“We have come together to defeat the hatred and violence being manufactured against minorities; stop the rising crimes against women, Dalits, Adivasis and Kashmiri Pandits; demand a fair hearing for all socially, educationally and economically backward communities; and, as a first step, implement the Caste Census,” the resolution added.
‘Picking a name opposition alliance’s 1st achievement’
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge told media persons that it was “in the interest of the people of this country” that the parties had come together and that agreeing on a name was the alliance’s “first achievement”.
“In one voice, people supported the resolution. All have agreed to have one name for the alliance. Earlier, we worked with ‘UPA’. Now, with all 26 parties, a new name has been given. Everybody agreed to this and this name was unanimously given,” said Kharge.
“I’m thankful to all the leaders. They gave very good suggestions. The BJP government wants to destroy democracy in this country. They also want to destroy the constitution. They are using institutions like the CBI, ED for vigilance against opposition parties and their workers.… Though we have got differences in each state politically, we have kept that aside,” he added.
Addressing the media, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said that the NDA did not exist anymore.
“First you had heard about the UPA. The NDA is still there, but it doesn’t exist. We have all taken up a real challenge. NDA, can you challenge India? BJP, can you challenge India? We love our motherland. We are the patriotic people of this country,” she said.
AAP supremo and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, whose presence in the meeting was undecided till a day ago, said that PM Narendra Modi had the opportunity to do a lot for the country but did not.
“Nine years ago, the people had given Narendra Modi an absolute majority. In nine years, he had an opportunity to do a lot for the country but in this duration, there is not one sector which we can say has done well. He has spared no opportunity to destroy all sectors,” he said.
“Take a second-class ticket and enter into a train…a few years ago, railways used to run well, but he has destroyed it. They have destroyed the economy, sold all the airports, planes, sold the sky and land and everything else to their own people. Today everyone in the country is sad, the youth, farmers, workers, home makers, businessmen…there is not a single person who is not sad. The 26 parties have not come together for themselves, but to save the country,” he added.
(Edited by Zinnia Ray Chaudhuri)
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