As the year 2023 crosses half path, tension within partisan political landscape soars within the Indian subcontinent, owing to the upcoming 2024 Lok Sabha elections. The Opposition gears up to defeat the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA), while the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) aims to conduct a show of strength after being defeated by Congress in two state assembly elections held earlier this year.
The week ahead will see both camps meetings aiming to strategise a highway to victory during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. While the PM Modi-led BJP Alliance looks to come back for a third straight term, the Opposition gears up to prevent the same from happening.
While the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) has announced a mega meet in New Delhi on Tuesday, 18 July, expecting nearly 30 parties to reiterate support to the alliance, 24 Opposition parties will also meet in Bengaluru on Monday and Tuesday to iron out their differences.
The political high voltage drama is set to unfold just ahead of the Monsoon Session of the Parliament which starts on 20 July.
Opposition Meet
The Congress on Sunday, came out in support of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)’s campaign against the contentious central order that wrested back control of Delhi’s bureaucracy, clearing ay contention that could have arisen in the Opposition unity.
Later in the day, after a PAC meet, the AAP convenor Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal also confirmed that the AAP would attend the opposition meet in Bengaluru.
Further, eight new parties have extended their support for the Opposition alliance. These include-
-Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK)
-Kongu Desa Makkal Katchi (KDMK)
-Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK)
-Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP)
-All India Forward Bloc
-Indian Union Muslim League (IUML)
-Kerala Congress (Joseph)
-Kerala Congress (Mani)
The last Opposition meet was held in June, at Patna, and was led by Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. It was attended by Mamata Banerjee (TMC), Arvind Kejriwal (AAP), Rahul Gandhi (Congress), and Mallikarjun Kharge (Congress), among others.
NDA Meet
The NDA meeting will be chaired by BJP President JP Nadda and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The meet will take place at Delhi’s Ashok Hotel on Tuesday evening, according to NDTV.
Four leaders from Bihar — Chirag Paswan of the Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas), Jitan Ram Manjhi of Hindustani Awam Morcha, Upendra Singh Kushwaha of the Rashtriya Lok Samta Party, and Mukesh Sahani of the Vikassheel Insaan Party — have been invited, and their parties will be included in the NDA.
N Chandrababu Naidu-led Telugu Desam Party and the Badal family-helmed Shiromani Akali Dal, even after much speculation, will not be part of the NDA. Sources say the BJP will not ally with these parties. It plans to go solo in Punjab and ally with Pawan Kalyan’s JanaSena Party in Andhra Pradesh.
The BJP-led ruling NDA alliance has a few entrants for this meet. This includes-
-NCP (Nationalist Congress Party Ajit Pawar faction)
-Lok Jan Shakti Party (Ram Vilas)
-HAM (Hindustani Awam Morcha)
-RLSP (Rashtriya Lok Samta Party)
-VIP (Vikassheel Insaan Party)
-SBSP (Suheldev Bhartiya Samaj Party Om Prakash Rajbhar)
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Updated: 16 Jul 2023, 09:51 PM IST