Indian political landscape underwent a significant shift on Tuesday as 26 opposition parties, during their second meeting in Bengaluru, officially announced their alliance against the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government for the upcoming 2024 Lok Sabha Elections. The opposition parties collectively named their alliance the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance or INDIA.
Simultaneously, the NDA held a coordination meeting with 38 parties, including smaller partners of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) who were yet to elect representatives for their respective state assemblies. Prime Minister Narendra Modi assured the allies that the NDA anticipated securing 50 percent of the vote share to win the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
Which parties opted to remain neutral?
As the two major political groupings in India gear up for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, a total of 64 Indian parties have aligned themselves with either of the alliances. However, several other prominent parties in their respective states have not aligned with either alliance. The list of neutral parties includes the Bahujan Samaj Party, Biju Janata Dal, Janata Dal (Secular), Akali Dal, Bharat Rashtra Samithi, Yuvajana Sramika Rythu Congress Party, Indian National Lok Dal, All India Majlis-E-Ittehadul Muslimeen, and All India United Democratic Front.
Bahujan Samaj Party
Led by Mayawati, the BSP has been critical of the BJP and has never been part of the NDA. They have made it clear that they do not wish to align with the opposition alliance either, reportedly not receiving an invitation to the opposition meeting.
Janata Dal (Secular)
The Karnataka-based JD(S) party has previously formed alliances with both the Congress and BJP. However, in recent meetings, they were not found to be aligned with either of the two groupings. JD(S) had previously formed a coalition government with the BJP in 2006 in Karnataka and remains a strong opposition against the Congress in the state. While the party has support among Muslims, the recent state assembly election results did not yield favorable outcomes for JD(S), as the majority of Muslim votes went to the Congress. Reports suggest that they might join an alliance later with the party that has a better chance of winning.
Shiromani Akali Dal
The SAD has publicly ruled out forming an alliance with either of the two groupings due to their strained relationships with those parties. Reportedly, they did not wish to align with their Punjab rival, the Aam Aadmi Party, and thus decided not to participate in the opposition meeting. Additionally, their ties with the BJP were severed in September 2020 over disagreements related to farm laws, making it difficult for them to join the NDA. The BJP has stated that they will independently contest all 13 Lok Sabha seats in Punjab. However, Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa from SAD attended the NDA meeting on Tuesday.
Biju Janata Dal
The BJD has been ruling Odisha for the past 25 years and has developed a close relationship with the BJP, supporting their policies and even allowing BJP candidate Ashwini Vaishnaw to win a Rajya Sabha seat. While BJD and BJP are rivals in Odisha's state assembly elections, party spokesperson Prasanna Acharya stated, "Being a regional party, we have our own policies. Most of the time, our policies are guided by the interests of Odisha. In Parliament and outside, we extend issue-based support."
Yuvajana Sramika Rythu Congress Party
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy parted ways with the Congress party in 2020 after they refused to grant him the chief ministerial post following his father's death. Since then, they have been rivals in state elections and on a national level, making an alliance with the Congress highly unlikely. While YSR-CP and BJP are rivals in the state, the former has supported policies implemented by the NDA government. However, they were not seen at the NDA meeting either.
Bharat Rashtra Samithi
Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao's Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) is the principal rival of the Congress in Telangana. Rahul Gandhi previously referred to them as the BJP's "B team." KCR has criticized the NDA government for various policies and accused it of undermining federalism. Prime Minister Modi recently called out KCR for corruption and promoting his family. The BRS aspires to become a national party and offer an anti-BJP and anti-Congress alternative to the people.
Indian National Lok Dal
The INLD, based in Haryana, was previously part of the NDA, and its offshoot, the Jannayak Janata Party, attended the NDA meeting. However, the INLD itself was absent from both meetings. Reportedly, the party aims to create an alternative to the BJP and Congress in Haryana.
All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen
The AIMIM, led by Asaduddin Owaisi, was previously aligned with the Congress in Andhra Pradesh. However, after the state's bifurcation, they leaned towards the BRS. The AIMIM has not aligned with either of the alliances, and Owaisi has been critical of both. The party's national spokesperson, Waris Pathan, stated to the media, "They did not invite us; we are political untouchables for them."
