The India alliance is failing to show a common face and common cause. It never felt the need for a common policy programme. BJP led NDA is benefiting from this.
Now in practical terms, the India Alliance is just a coordination of parties at the state level. In this way, the possibilities that were bright due to the limited success in the Lok Sabha elections have dimmed today. The major responsibility for this goes to the Congress, the largest party within the alliance, which did not show generosity in the states under its influence. In the Haryana elections, when it refused to leave enough seats for the Aam Aadmi Party and the Samajwadi Party, SP chief Akhilesh Yadav had made a meaningful comment that he respected “the right of every party to decide in the state under its influence”. . After a month, he has expressed this right during nine assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh. He did not give up the seats as per the ambition of the State Congress, so ultimately the Congress was forced to announce not taking part in these by-elections.
On the other hand, even in the four by-elections in Bihar, the allies did not show any respect towards Congress. However, the biggest drama has happened in Maharashtra, where Shiv Sena (Uddhav) has given a clear message that it does not consider Congress as the largest party in Maha Vikas Aghadi. Since Congress’s position has weakened after major defeats in Haryana and Jammu, it has to bow before its allies in these states. If you remember, even before the Lok Sabha elections, there was bitterness between Congress and SP in Madhya Pradesh.
The net result is that India is increasingly failing to show a common face and common cause. It never felt the need for a common policy programme. In such a situation, it would not be wrong to understand that this alliance is actually just a solidarity against the dominance of BJP during the Modi era and the alleged misuse of central agencies against the leaders of these parties. At best, it is a means of parliamentary coordination. Although BJP has no less problems in its alliances, but there is no challenge to BJP’s leadership. NDA is benefiting from this.