Anti-BJP Alliance India Raises The Stakes For Modi-Led NDA

By S.Sethuraman

CHENNAI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi seems increasingly obsessed with the needed numbers in Lok Sabha for him to make sure of his third term in 2024 Lok Sabha polls.,with the emergence of an apparently effective opposition alliance, INDIA.

The kind of rhetoric the BJP head of Government indulges in running down the new 26-party Alliance for 2024, as a “conclave of diehard corrupt groups”, which would promote ‘dynastic/family rule’, not the nation’s good, expresses BJP’s real concern over a radically changing political scene.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who has gained international stature by his visits abroad and embracing heads of governments and current chairmanship of G-20, has also to safeguard his own reputation. And this at a time events happening at home, like Manipur, and inroads into citizens’ rights in an acclaimed Democracy, are drawing adverse notice abroad. The Lok Sabha Battle-2024 may even be perceived as a geo-strategic event, in the context of huge claims of India being at the centre of the World.

A drastic change in the scenario is no doubt subject to how far the newly minted 26-party alliance – the Congress and strong regional parties declaring themselves INDIA – Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance – would produce a more promising economic and political programme.. More importantly, they would have to settle seat-sharing adjustments all over the country.

INDIA partners are due to meet in Mumbai in September to make progress in generating a political narrative that the country badly needs to make sure of sustainable economic growth with rising employment and social justice. BJP’s 2014 promise of “Achhe Din” is hardly visible even after nine years of the Modi Government in terms of the common people..

The Modi Government did effect reforms, mainly infrastructural, designed to raise the levels of big business, leaving aside the major problem of rising unemployment and reducing the level of poverty in the country. With enhancing investments in infrastructure in general, Mr Modi assumes that India is already a near developed country and the thrusts now are more on digitalisation of the country. “We think big, dream big and act big” is the Prime Minister’s claim dismissing the rest of political India as “corrupt”.

BJP knows the risks for winning and has put itself on a high gear. first to win over the threeStates, MP, Rajasthan and Chattisgarh, where Assembly elections are due before theend of 2023While it is relatively confident of retaining MP led by Mr ShivrajSingh,it has come up against a more formidable fight in Congress-held Rajasthan, where the party is yet to overcome its internal rifts.

BJP is offering “collective leadership”. Not acceptable to its former CM, Mrs. VasundharaRaje who insists on her face to take the field.. BJP President J P Nadda attempts to find an acceptable solution,maybe like “Modi Face” for Lok Sabha seats, Chattisgarh, however looks strong for the Congress at present.

It is in the South that BJP wants to make up for losing numbers in the North and West (otherthan UP and Gujarat), after its defeat in Karnataka. Thus, Tamil Nadu with its 39 seats in LokSabha has gained greater importance than ever before and BJP has been plotting to dislodge the DMK from its strong hold. In 2019, the DMK (not in power then) led by M K Stalin (now the CM), bagged 25 seats. HomeMinister Amit Shah is looking after TN to ensure that DMK tally is drastically reduced.

A strong anti-DMK campaign was launched by Mr Amit Shah, charging the Stalin Government with corruption, as he flagged off at Rameswaram a ‘padayatra’ of Mr Annamalai, a former police officer now heading TN BJP, This is the first time that the Modi Government through its Home Minister Amit Shah brands a non-BJP State Government as “corrupt” raising new tensions One of the DMK Ministers hit out against the Home Minister’s charge “without any basis”.

All this is part of a determined BJP, both at party and Modi Government levels, to get rid of the “Dravidian” Government in Tamil Nadu as early as it can, despite its electoral majority. The Governor R N Ravi has been raising questions about Dravidian ideology and has been in serious dispute with the Stalin Government in various ways. The BJP has made some lapses by antagonising its ally AIADMK through some remarks of its leaders but the party is making all efforts to get more allies in its bid to challenge the INDIA . It is Narendra Modi vs. M K Stalin in Tamil Nadu in 2024 Lok Sabha elections.(IPA Service)

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