By Ram Kumar Kaushik
If adding two I's can give ‘IconIc' victory against NDA in 2024 elections then 26 opposition parties have almost done it. During a meeting at Bengaluru, they named their coalition ‘INDIA', acronym for ‘Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance'. The renaming of the earlier coalition United Progressive Alliance (UPA) has been done a couple of days after BJP president J P Nadda referred UPA to as Utpidan, Pakshpat Atyachar at a rally in Jaipur.
The renaming of the alliance itself has infused confidence in senior party leaders of this coalition. 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.
Gandhi categorically equalled BJP with Modi indicating his autocratic control, which Rahul often talks about.
The ‘political baby' which was born today, according to sources was named by by Trinamool Congress (TMC) chief Mamata Banerjee and seconded by the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) head M.K. Stalin. However, C0ngress sources says that the name was first suggested by Rahul Gandhi, which was agreed upon by all.
“Though trivial dispute arose around naming of the coalition itself, but this also shows their deep involvement in this coalition. After Congress (52 Lok Sabha, 31 Rajya Sabha), DMK (23 LS, 10 RS) and TMC (22 LS, 12 RS) are the two parties which have maximum representation in the parliament,” said a senior Congress leader.
The 26 parties coalition ‘INDIA' – a bit larger than 19 parties UPA – 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.
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.
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.
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.
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