- The Indian political narrative is never dull, and drama of unparalleled proportions cannot be denied. People in the know can attest to how the Indian political undercurrents and machinations play out during every major election. It could be state assembly elections, which keep the Election Commission of India constantly busy, or the Lok Sabha elections, which take place next year. Yes, the upcoming Parliamentary elections have energized all of the key players in the political arena to prepare for the mother of all elections. Needless to say, the two national parties in the race, the incumbent Bharatiya Janata Party in power at the Centre and the Grand Old Party are preparing for the mother of all battles.
PC: MAHESH M GOUDAR
- The entire political circle was buzzing with frenzied activity as the JD (Unitish)’s Kumar led the charge to unite diverse opposition parties under one platform to challenge the BJP’s might. The first meeting was held in Patna, and the second was held recently in Bengaluru, Karnataka. It is worth noting that the 26-member opposition bloc shaped the anti-BJP coalition by naming itself INDIA—Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance—an acronym that it believes will resonate with citizens. Of course, the acronym is bound to cause the expected squabble between the two main characters. It should be noted that several opposition parties are fighting directly with Congress in some states, which could be decisive in the coming months.
- The question here is whether the diverse and disparate political parties that have come together will remain united as the big day approaches. All opposition parties, it is agreed, have a common agenda to keep the BJP at bay by pitchforking the issue of high prices, abuse of law enforcement agencies, a lack of job opportunities, rampant unemployment, economic mismanagement, and painting a bleak picture of what the BJP has accomplished in its two terms. Then there’s the standard narrative of secular versus communal clashes in full blaze. Indeed, the Indian political landscape is already muddled by the labyrinthine caste equation, whose permutations and combinations are difficult for even the most seasoned political observer to decipher.
PC: PTI
- Not to be left behind, the BJP too has initiated moves to cobble up the support of like-minded parties to further strengthen the National Democratic Alliance. It suggests that the BJP is concerned that it will not be able to repeat its electoral feat of securing a majority on its own in the upcoming Parliamentary election, or that it does not want to leave any room for complacency or allow things to drift in the run-up to the big day. From now on, the political arena will be rife with accusations and counter-accusations about some pertinent but completely irrelevant issues. The political ideologies promoted by the two main protagonists have already established polarisation. In the coming days, expect the same to reach a feverish pitch.
