As the Opposition Alliance Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) gathers for a two-day meeting in Mumbai, questions arise about its internal cohesion and its potential impact on the upcoming 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Sushil Kumar Modi has raised concerns about the alliance's ability to dent the prospects of the BJP in the upcoming elections.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and Rajya Sabha MP has pointedly questioned the unity within the alliance, highlighting the absence of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Arvind Kejriwal's photo on the alliance's promotional posters, which prominently feature Congress leader Rahul Gandhi. This omission raises questions about the alliance's dynamics and goals.
"Congress has issued posters on which pictures of 13 leaders are there. Rahul Gandhi's picture is highlighted most in the posters. But, Aam Aadmi Party's Arvind Kejriwal's photo is not there on the poster. What does it convey?” Sushil Kumar Modi told ANI.
The issue of prime ministerial candidacy has also emerged as a point of contention within the alliance, he said. While JD(U) leaders advocate for Nitish Kumar, Congress leaders rally behind Rahul Gandhi, and AAP expresses its preference for Arvind Kejriwal, as per Modi.
Recent by-poll elections and state politics have also revealed potential fault lines within the alliance. The Congress and CPIM's contestation against the Trinamool Congress in the West Bengal Assembly by-poll elections, as well as the Congress competing against AAP in Delhi and Punjab state politics, have raised doubts about the alliance's coherence and shared objectives.
Sushil Kumar Modi draws attention to recent surveys that consistently position Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a frontrunner among opposition leaders. Given this popularity, he asserts that the INDIA alliance's collective impact might not be sufficient to prevent the BJP from securing power in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
The Mumbai meeting on August 31-September 1 carries significance as the alliance is poised to unveil a new logo and discuss its strategies for both the Lok Sabha polls and the impending Assembly elections. As the opposition parties convene to navigate these crucial decisions, the spotlight remains on their ability to forge a cohesive and effective alliance that can contend with the BJP's electoral prowess.
(With ANI inputs)
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