Changing landscape of Indian politics: BJP and Opposition scramble for allies ahead of 2024 general elections
In a surprising shift, the BJP, known for its unwavering stance, is now displaying a remarkable degree of accommodation. Ahead of the upcoming general elections, the party is actively seeking alliances.
Hyderabad: The swag is gone. The roar of “Desh dekh raha hai, ek akela kitno ko bhari pad raha hai,” (the country is watching how one person has outweighed so many) isn’t being heard anymore. Suddenly, the all-powerful Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which never budged, is all-accommodative with the party reaching out to get on board as many allies as possible for the ensuing general elections. Now, as per Prime Minister Narendra Modi, “gathbandhan majboori nahi majbooti ka madhyam hai. (the NDA coalition is not the symbol of compulsion but of strength) In NDA, no party is small or big. We all are walking together towards the same goal.”
This, of course, was different a while back when allies walked out one after the other and the saffron party sat smug. Even when the Akali Dal, amongst its oldest allies, walked out during the farmers’ protest over the three farm laws, there was no rethink or an effort to get them back. In fact, it did not mind breaking its allies to suit its needs and another long-term ally Shiv Sena has had to take the brunt of a domineering BJP. So what has changed and why is the BJP doing all it can to get as many parties with it? Is it sensing that it alone cannot cross the winning line in 2024?
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Number Game
On the other side, the opposition too is sorting out issues and adding more allies. Even parties which are fierce rivals in States – like the CPI(M) and the Trinamool Congress in West Bengal, the Congress and the CPI(M) in Kerala, and the AAP and the Congress in Delhi and Punjab — are now under the same umbrella. The number of parties on the opposition side swelled from 16 in Patna to 26 in Bengaluru and they have a new name – INDIA (Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance). A coordination committee, a convener and a common minimum programme are expected to be in place soon.
There suddenly seems to be an urgency on both sides to get as many allies in their fold as possible and both the big parties also seem to be in a mood to ‘kiss-and-make-up’ with smaller players. So the rivalry between the Aam Aadmi Party and the Congress is being papered over and the rancour of the recent panchayat elections in West Bengal is forgotten. The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) rolled out the red carpet for 38 parties for their meeting on July 18. While Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge may “not have heard of these parties”, the Prime Minister was all ears for his ‘allies’ at the meeting. Of course, now it is no more a case of all parties coming together to take on ‘one man’. Welcome boards are out on both sides and the battle of 2024 is taking shape. Political players are choosing their sides and pooling their efforts to take on each other.
Matter of Choice
The broad contours of the general elections are taking shape and a battle of alliances is on the cards in 2024. With the BJP suddenly showing signs of nervousness and the Congress, beginning to be much more accommodative than its usual self, the battle for India’s vote is getting interesting. It is no more a foregone conclusion as it was probably believed at the beginning of this year. Probably, the two opposing alliances will also represent two ideas of India and the people of India can make their clear choice.
But with one alliance gaining steam and another losing ground, there is also that possibility of so near and yet so far. It’s here that the USP of the non-aligned players will come into play. Three strong parties in their respective States, ie, Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) in Telangana, the Yuvajana Sramika Rythu Congress Party (YSRCP) in Andhra Pradesh and the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) in Odisha, could emerge as kingmakers.
Though there are straws in the wind, the wind can still change directions. And there is enough time left for game-changing events that can completely alter the course of the elections. The State elections slated towards the end of this year will give us the first clear indications — which way the country is choosing.
