It looks like the 2024 general election will be fought under the banner of the NDA and INDIA. The opposition parties which met at Bengaluru have come up with INDIA — the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance. Altogether 26 parties, led by the Congress, are part of this alliance. Congress’s Rahul Gandhi has declared that the 2024 general elections will be “Modi versus INDIA.” The BJP’s mega gathering of 38 parties saw Prime Minister Narendra Modi meeting and greeting the allies.
The BJP has been networking in a planned manner. Already strong in most northern states, the BJP has been sticking to its plan of beefing up in the south, west and the Northeast. In crucial states like Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, it is only seeking to extend its footprint by patching in parties that have influence among backward classes and scheduled castes and tribes. The Congress, which is still struggling to catch up with the BJP, has forged an alliance with 26 parties. Their move to term the alliance INDIA is an attempt to try to portray the 2024 general election as a battle between India and Modi. Only time will decide whether this will click with the people of the country. With the possibility of the anti-incumbency factor, the BJP has started to revive the NDA and is trying hard to woo the smaller parties. The BJP will bank heavily on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and these alliance partners in the next election.