The Opposition alliance block, I.N.D.I.A, is now getting to the nuts and bolts of alliance formation and that is really the most crucial bit. The key factor is not who will be the convenor, but rather the committees that will decide on seat sharing, because this can make or break the alliance. There are several factors at play here, and double that number of egos. For instance, will the regional parties get the upper hand in the seat sharing since they have a stronger presence at the state level, or will the Congress as it is the only pan-India national party in the Opposition block?
While the Opposition has wisely decided not to portray a PM face against Prime Minister Modi, it is still to get its narrative together. We saw with the recent controversy over Udayanidhi Stalin’s comments over Sanatam Dharma that this has still to be ironed out. What works in the South may not work in the North. In fact, Madhya Pradesh leaders are wary that this could even work against them at the state election level and have urged the party’s central leadership in Delhi to strongly distance themselves from Udayanidhi’s comments instead of indulging in whataboutery.
Hence, instead of getting distracted by what the BJP is planning regarding the special session of parliament, the Opposition should keep its eye on the ball. And this involves a much more rigorous timetable than just one meeting a month in different state capitals. They don’t have the luxury of time and while it is doubtful that the 2024 General Elections will be preponed (the BJP is still to recover from the India Shining debacle), there is not much time left. As per the original schedule, E 2024 is now less than a year away.
