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Will the INDI alliance fall apart before the Lok Sabha elections? After Bengal and Bihar, now alarm bells ring in Maharashtra.
Lok Sabha Election 2024 All is not well in the INDI alliance. Bihar CM Nitish Kumar has left the coalition and joined the NDA, while Mamta has also announced to contest the elections alone. Now even in Maharashtra, the MVA partners are not seeing the fault of pulses, due to which the alliance is now seen to be disintegrating.
There are only a few months left in the Lok Sabha elections. While the ruling party BJP has started formulating its strategy regarding the election, the opposition camp INDI Alliance has not yet been able to resolve the differences.
The parties of the opposition INDI Alliance have not yet agreed on seat sharing. Due to this, many partner parties seem to be distancing. Bihar CM Nitish Kumar has left the coalition and joined the NDA. At the same time, Mamta has also announced to contest the elections alone. Due to this, the coalition now seems to be disintegrating.
Now the coalition is on the verge of breaking in Maharashtra
After Bihar and Bengal, alarm bells are ringing in Maharashtra too. In Maharashtra, there is no talk of seat sharing between Shiv Sena and Congress. Shiv Sena is demanding 23 of the 48 Lok Sabha seats in Maharashtra, which the Congress has rejected. Prakash Ambedkar, who was recently associated with the MVA (Maha Vikas Aghadi), went to the extent of saying that there is no indie alliance left in Maharashtra.
In West Bengal too, the voices of the Indy alliance parties are not matching. Giving a big blow to the largest party Congress, Mamta Banerjee has said that TMC will contest alone in Bengal. Mamta has reminded him of his promise not to join hands with the Left in Bengal for this.
In UP, Akhilesh Yadav’s party SP also does not seem to be talking about seat sharing with Congress. SP has also announced its candidates in many seats. On the other hand, even in Punjab, AAP and Congress do not seem to be at fault. While local Congress leaders are not willing to join hands with Kejriwal’s party, Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann has also said that AAP will contest alone in Punjab.
Blow to INDI Alliance, Prakash Ambedkar said – everything is over
Vanchit Bahujan Maha Aghadi (VBA) president Prakash Ambedkar attended the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) seat negotiations. He said the meeting decided to ensure that the Maha Vikas Aghadi does not end up like the INDIA, an alliance of opposition parties formed at the national level. “I made some points in the meeting. Which will be discussed by the three constituent parties.
‘INDI Alliance no longer exists’
Prakash Ambedkar addressed the media after the meeting. He said the meeting decided to ensure that the Maha Vikas Aghadi does not end up like the INDIA, an alliance of opposition parties formed at the national level. “According to me, the opposition alliance INDIA does not exist anymore.
Prakash Ambedkar calls the meeting positive
Prakash Ambedkar, the grandson of B R Ambedkar, has long been urging the inclusion of his party in the Maha Vikas Aghadi and INDI Alliance in Maharashtra, but the INDI Alliance is dead even before his induction. Talking to reporters after attending the Maha Vikas Aghadi meeting in Mumbai today, Ambedkar described the meeting held today as positive.
MVA should not follow the path of the INDI Alliance – Prakash
“I made some points in the meeting. The three constituents of Congress, NCP, Sharad Pawar faction and Shiv Sena Uddhav faction will discuss the meeting. The draft will be finalized later with some additions if needed. “We have decided to ensure that Maha Vikas Aghadi does not follow the path of INDI Alliance and steps are taken carefully,” he said. Right now the common minimum agenda for the alliance is being discussed. The seat-sharing issue will be discussed later.
‘Opposition parties are going on different paths in UP, Bihar and Bengal’
Ambedkar said the opposition alliance no longer existed. In Uttar Pradesh, the Congress and the Samajwadi Party are going on separate paths over the disagreement on seat sharing. Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee have gone separately. This should not happen in Maharashtra. Earlier, Sanjay Raut said that the fight to protect the Constitution of India has become stronger with the joining of Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi in Maha Vikas Aghadi.
INDI Alliance gets support from Ambedkar’s grandson in Maharastra.
Dr Prakash Ambedkar, the grandson of B R Ambedkar, may contest the upcoming Lok Sabha elections together with the opposition alliance. Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) chief Prakash today attended a meeting of opposition faction MVA over seat sharing for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut, a constituent of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), also shared a picture of the Dalit leader attending the meeting. Besides the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT), the Congress and the Sharad Pawar-led NCP faction are also partners in the MVA.
Formula being decided on seat sharing
According to MVA leaders, the broad seat-sharing agreement is likely to be finalised by the allies, with 10 to 12 seats yet to be discussed. Maharashtra has 48 Lok Sabha seats, the second highest in the country after Uttar Pradesh’s 80.
Raut posted on X: With the VBA joining the MVA, the fight to protect the Constitution of India has become stronger. We will fight against mobocracy. NCP’s Jayant Patil and Jitendra Awhad, Congress leaders Nana Patole, Ashok Chavan, Balasaheb Thorat and Varsha Gaikwad and Shiv Sena (UBT) Sanjay Raut attended the meeting.
INDI Alliance carriage in reverse gear
The political train of seat sharing between the opposition INDIA alliance parties has not moved from where it started five months ago. Contrary to all the claims of the Congress, the largest party of the opposition, entering the united field of the INDI Alliance, the coalition, some of the major constituents are declaring to follow the path of Ekla Chalo, while some have jumped towards the ruling party and changed sides.
SP ready to give 100 seats to Congress
After leaving JDU’s INDI Alliance, it is clear from the announcement of the Trinamool Congress to contest the Lok Sabha elections alone that the seat adjustment of the opposition alliance is seen in reverse gear. In this sense, the hope for the Congress is the Samajwadi Party in Uttar Pradesh, which is still advocating the strengthening of the INDIA alliance. At the same time, the Congress is also ready to give about a dozen Lok Sabha seats.
Ever since the opposition INDI Alliance came into existence, the Congress has been relentlessly pushing Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee to her political initiatives, but Didi commented on her political initiatives ranging from seat-sharing to Rahul Gandhi’s Nyay Yatra in West Bengal. It is clear from this that the Trinamool supremo does not want to take the risk of giving more than a limited political space to the Congress in her state.
The TMC had offered two seats to the Congress
Sensing the political reality, the Congress is happily ready to contest six Lok Sabha seats in Bengal, but Mamata was not ready to give more than two seats and announced to go alone based on Rahul’s sharing of the stage with CPI(M) leaders during the Nyay Yatra. The reality is that Didi had no problem sharing the stage with Left leaders like Sitaram Yechury and D Raja in the meetings of the opposition alliance.
Mamata’s stance will also hurt the Congress in the sense that when she opposed the proposal to make Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who played the role of the facilitator in the formation of INDI Alliance, the convenor of the alliance, the Congress leadership joined her tune. Whatever may be the reason for Nitish’s change of camp, this has also been a reason.
At the INDIA Alliance meeting held in Mumbai on September 1 last year, Mamata along with Aam Aadmi Party chief Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal set October 31 as the deadline for seat sharing. The initiative was stalled for almost three months due to the Congress being busy with the elections in five states and then by December 31, the exercise of rapprochement was intensified. After this, Makar Sankranti and then two other deadlines of January 31 have also been passed.
These INDI Alliance leaders screwed up
Meanwhile, Nitish Kumar has gone to the NDA’s side. Mamta has said the matter of Ekla Chalo Raag. The picture of the Aam Aadmi Party is not yet clear. In such a situation, the option of alliance in front of the Congress is with RJD in Bihar, JMM in Jharkhand, NCP and Shiv Sena UBT in Maharashtra and DMK in Tamil Nadu.
The party has not had many problems in the way of sharing seats with these parties because the Congress’s alliance with all these parties has been in place long before the INDI Alliance. It is clear that among the parties that have joined the INDI Alliance, only Akhilesh Yadav’s SP is still ready to join hands with the Congress.
Despite Mamata’s refusal, Congress’ hope for alliance remains intact.
Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee may have announced to contest the upcoming Lok Sabha elections alone, but the Congress is still hopeful of an alliance with the Trinamool Congress. Speaking to reporters in Bengal’s Murshidabad district, which was once a Congress stronghold, Congress national general secretary Jairam Ramesh said that the paramount objective of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections is to remove the BJP government from the Centre. There is a give-and-take tendency in coalition.
The Congress general secretary further said that we are hoping to reach a consensus on joint seat-sharing in Bengal. Mamata Banerjee has expressed her commitment to the INDI Alliance. We welcome this stand of his. On Banerjee accusing the Congress of strengthening the hands of the BJP in alliance with the CPI(M), Ramesh said, “I have heard her statement, but it reflects her opinion, not the consensus of the alliance.” Both the TMC and the Congress have a common goal of defeating the BJP in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.
What Did Jairam Ramesh say?
On the CPI(M)’s stand of not forging any alliance with the TMC in Bengal, Ramesh clarified that representatives of the CPI(M), Congress, TMC and other parties have been present in all the INDI Alliance meetings. Our objective is clear – to remove the BJP from power. We have to ensure that the BJP loses 18 seats which it won in the last Lok Sabha elections in Bengal.
Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said the INDI Alliance is for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections and not for assembly polls in any state. The Congress said on Friday that the opposition group of 27 parties is present and will fight together.
In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the TMC won 22 seats while the Congress won two seats. Sources said the TMC had offered two seats based on the Congress’ past performance, to which the Bengal unit of the Congress had strongly objected.
Derek accuses Adhir.
On the other hand, senior TMC leader and Rajya Sabha member Derek O’Brien accused Bengal Congress president Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury of allying with the CPI(M) and the BJP in Baharampur and other seats in the state. Baharampur is the parliamentary constituency of Adhir. Derek’s allegation comes at a time when Congress national general secretary Jairam Ramesh has raised hopes of a seat-sharing pact with the Trinamool.
Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool supremo Mamata Banerjee has already announced to contest the Lok Sabha elections alone. Derek had earlier said that the alliance could not be formed due to Adhir’s rhetoric against the Trinamool.
After Nitish on INDI Alliance now Mamata’s changed Her tone
After the arrest of former Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee reiterated her stand of contesting alone in the state. At the same time, he targeted the Congress fiercely. “Our party was excited to have an alliance with the Congress for the Lok Sabha elections but they rejected our offer.
A day after the ED arrested former Jharkhand chief minister Hemant Soren in a land scam case, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday launched a scathing attack on the Centre and the BJP. Banerjee alleged that the BJP was putting all opposition leaders in jail to win the upcoming Lok Sabha polls. During an administrative meeting at Shantipur in Nadia district, Mamata said that there was a big conspiracy behind the arrest of Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) leader Soren.
What Did Mamata say?
Accusing the BJP of misusing the investigating agencies, Banerjee said that opposition leaders are being intimidated in the name of ED-CBI. The Chief Minister also said that if she is also put behind bars, she will come out of it. “The BJP considers everyone a thief and itself a Sadhu. BJP’s ED and CBI game will last only till the Lok Sabha elections.
Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata also shouted that no matter what the BJP does, this time we will form the government in Delhi. The people will wipe out the BJP in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. It is noteworthy that the ED arrested Jharkhand’s outgoing Chief Minister Hemant Soren on Wednesday evening after questioning for more than seven hours in a land scam case.
Reiterates the matter of contesting elections alone
During this, Mamta again reiterated that her party will contest alone on all the seats of Bengal in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. “Our party was excited to have an alliance with the Congress for the Lok Sabha elections, but they rejected our offer. She accused the Congress of joining hands with the CPI(M) to help the BJP in the elections.
A solution to seat sharing will be found soon in INDI Alliance
Rahul Gandhi
Rahul Gandhi said his party is discussing a seat-sharing arrangement in INDI Alliance with the ruling TMC in West Bengal for the Lok Sabha elections and a solution will be found soon.
Gandhi made the remarks during an interaction with the party’s ‘Digital Media Warriors’ in West Bengal during the Bharat Jodo Naya Yatra. Asked why the Congress was giving importance to TMC president Mamata Banerjee despite her reluctance to give up a single Lok Sabha seat for the Congress in the state, Gandhi said neither Mamata ji has said so nor the Congress has left the INDI Alliance.
‘Mahua will win people’s votes again’
Banerjee once again extended support to her party’s former MP Mahua Moitra, who was recently expelled from the Lok Sabha for allegedly asking questions in Parliament for money. Targeting the BJP at a public distribution programme at Shantipur in Nadia district, Banerjee said that you can drive Mahua away from Parliament, but with the vote of the people, she will win again. During this time on stage, Mahua was also present.
Mamta alleged that Mahua was raising people’s issues prominently in Parliament, so she was expelled. The BJP indulged in political vendetta. Mahua was not even given a chance to defend herself. Mamata hinted that Mahua will again be given a ticket from the Krishna Nagar seat in Nadia in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.
Mahua, a former TMC MP from Krishnanagar, was expelled from the Lok Sabha on December 8 last year over allegations of asking questions in Parliament in exchange for money and expensive gifts from an industrialist.
Mallikarjun Kharge gives a big update on seat-sharing.
Now the political equation has changed in Bihar. Nitish Kumar, who was the architect of INDI Alliance before the Lok Sabha elections, has now formed a government with the NDA.
When JDU separated from the INDI Alliance, the Maha Alliance in the state is now engaged in strategizing in a new way. Meanwhile, a big meeting of Bihar Congress leaders was held in Delhi regarding seat sharing. Mallikarjun Kharge held a meeting with Bihar Congress leaders on Saturday.
Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge’s statement came after the meeting of Bihar Congress leaders held in Delhi. “The team we have formed, including Salman Khurshid, Mukul Wasnik and UP Congress in-charge Avinash Pandey, will give you details about whom they met and discussed.
All the leaders of the INDI Alliance are in the race for the post of Prime Minister.
The BJP on Friday described the opposition INDI Alliance as unstable and compared it to a cricket team whose players all want to be captain. During the discussion on the motion of thanks in the Lok Sabha on the President’s address, Union Minister SP Singh Baghel raised the issue of tussle in the opposition over the Prime Minister’s face. BJP member Hina Gavit initiated the discussion.
‘Ravan-Hitler also had arrogance, now look at history’
Congress workers staged a protest against the wrong remarks against the INDI Alliance leaders and burnt the effigy of BJP Uttarakhand in-charge Dushyant Gautam at Esslehal Chowk. On Friday, Congress workers gathered at Rajpur Road Congress Bhawan at 11 am.
After taking out a rally from here, they reached Eslehall Chowk and set the effigy on fire. During this, the Metropolitan President of Congress Dr Jaswinder Singh Gogi alleged that BJP Uttarakhand in charge of Dushyant Gautam has made highly objectionable remarks on opposition leaders so that they should apologize immediately.
He alleged that the conduct of BJP leaders is corrupt. BJP leaders are making wild statements. They claim from above that we are a cultured party. BJP leaders only mislead people in the name of religion, spread hatred and hide their faulty conduct in the garb of religion.
Those who burnt the effigy included state vice president Puran Singh Rawat, state general secretaries Manish Nagpal, Naveen Joshi, Sanjay Sharma, Praveen Bhardwaj, Waqar Ahmed, Ketan Rawat, Sanjay Gautam, Ashok Kumar, Gopal Singh, Mukesh Regmi, Sanjay Bharti, Ripudaman Singh. Abhishek Tiwari, Dev Singh Negi, Rajesh Uniyal, Uday Singh etc. were present.
Congressmen expressed anger
In Vikasnagar, Congressmen burnt the effigy of the BJP in protest against the remarks made by BJP’s Uttarakhand in-charge Dushyant Gautam on the INDI Alliance. Pachhwadoon Congress district president Laxmi Kapruwan Agarwal alleged that the BJP was promoting a corrupt political culture which was evident from the behaviour of party functionaries.
The language used by Uttarakhand in-charge Dushyant Gautam for the INDI Alliance is highly objectionable. The district president sarcastically alleged that the more the leader poisons the society, the bigger the post will be given to him. He said that Ravana was also arrogant, Hitler was also arrogant, and the British also had arrogance, but look back at the pages of history, every representative of arrogance just went on falling prey to misery.
State Secretary Vikas Sharma, Bhaskar Chugh, Anupam Kapil, Rajiv Sharma, Neelam Thapa, Mahendra Chauhan, Harnam Singh, Mohan Rathore, Vijay, Suryansh, Ashish Pundir, Surendra Sharma, DK Banerjee, Rajdin, and Govardhan Doval were present during the effigy burning. Prominent among those present on the occasion were Pina Chauhan, Jitendra Rawat, Furkan Ahmed, Manoj Chauhan, Jabir, Firoz, Pinky Rawat, Bina Chauhan, Amit Panwar, Ashok Negi, Mehboob, Vinay Jaiswal, Ilam Chand Multani, and others.
Conclusion By aAditri Digital
In the run-up to the Lok Sabha elections, the INDI Alliance finds itself at a critical juncture, facing internal rifts and defections. The recent departure of Bihar CM Nitish Kumar and the decision of Mamata Banerjee to contest alone have sent shockwaves through the alliance. The disintegration is now evident in Maharashtra, where the MVA partners, Shiv Sena and Congress, are at an impasse over seat sharing.
The lack of consensus on seat distribution has led to a cascade effect, with Prakash Ambedkar stating that the opposition alliance ‘INDIA’ no longer exists. The echoes of discord reverberate in UP, Bihar, and Bengal, further weakening the alliance’s prospects. The recent arrest of Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren has intensified the blame game, with Mamata accusing the BJP of using investigative agencies to intimidate opposition leaders.
In this tumultuous scenario, Prakash Ambedkar’s call for cautious steps in the MVA, learning from the fate of the INDI Alliance, becomes crucial. The alliance partners must prioritize unity, avoiding the pitfalls that befell their national counterparts. As seat-sharing discussions unfold, the opposition must find common ground and present a united front against the ruling BJP.
The hope for an alliance with TMC in Bengal, as expressed by Congress’s Jairam Ramesh, underscores the importance of collaborative efforts to unseat the BJP government. The road ahead demands strategic negotiations, a shared vision, and a commitment to uphold the constitutional values they aim to protect. Only then can the INDI Alliance navigate through these turbulent waters and emerge as a formidable force in the upcoming elections.
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