- The Indian political landscape will be witnessing a spectacular unfolding of the dance of democracy in the next few months that can be expected to be different from what we have seen all these years and offer us entirely new social-media-driven initiatives to impress upon the electorate. Most of us would be looking forward to being a part of the mother of all elections – the Lok Sabha polls – scheduled in April/May 2024. None of the Indian citizens would wish to stay away from the beauty of democracy unfolding in vivid colors which will be fronted by the political parties of all hues. The national and regional political parties have already geared up for the big elections in their ways for some time now.
PC: The Economic Times
- Let’s examine how the two national political parties fare in the coming months. The ruling dispensation at the Centre, the National Democratic Alliance led by the Bharatiya Janata Party must be considered as having an edge over other opposition parties for sure. The United Progressive Alliance led by the Grand Old Party is making every effort not only to offer more than a semblance of a fight but also preparing to forge an alliance that would be formidable in opposing the ruling dispensation. We all know how the INDI bloc featuring the opposition parties took shape in the last few months to take on the might of the BJP’s exemplary election machinery. However, the recent instances of reversals emanating from their ranks must be greatly disappointing.
- First, the U-turn of Nitish Kumar – the main architect of the INDI bloc – yet again switching sides to be with the NDA must have blown out the wind from the sails of the opposition unity efforts. Secondly, the Trinamool Congress supremo categorically reiterating her resolve to contest alone in all the Lok Sabha seats in West Bengal must have further demoralized the already punctured INDI bloc. The Aam Aadmi Party in Punjab has announced that it will have no alliance with any opposition party to fight the ensuing polls. In other states like Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh, Congress’s seemingly intransigence attitude has riled the regional parties like the Shiv Sena (UBT) and Samajwadi Party (SP) which are not prepared to yield much ground.
PC: The Economic Times
- The moot point to ponder over here is whether the opposition’s endeavor to project a unified front to the BJP-led surge would die a premature death even before it is allowed to take shape before the general elections. Going by the look of things, there is no way the INDI bloc will reach an agreement vis-à-vis seat sharing to pose challenges to the BJP-led NDA. The consecration of Lord Ram in Ayodhya would be a deciding factor alongside some of the defining socio-economic measures initiated by the BJP benefiting the last man standing. The overall feel-good factor towards the BJP is palpable. Will the opposition ranks succeed in checkmating the charismatic and hugely popular Narendra Modi from a hattrick of victories in the Lok Sabha polls? Unlikely.
