New Delhi: With just a few months left until the Lok Sabha elections, the opposition alliance is facing significant challenges in coming together and presenting a united front against the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). A meeting of top leaders from 28 parties was held in New Delhi on December 19, but it failed to make significant progress on key issues such as seat-sharing, alliance convenors, and rallies.
The Congress party, which is a major player in the alliance, has been facing criticism for its performance in recent elections. The party lost in all states except Telangana in the recent assembly elections, and its leadership has been questioned. This has led to tensions within the alliance, with some parties expressing dissatisfaction with the Congress’s role.
One of the key issues that the alliance needs to address is seat-sharing. The Congress and other parties are locked in a tussle over the number of seats they will contest in the upcoming elections. The Congress is claiming 10 seats in Bihar, while the Communist Party of India (Marxist) is demanding at least 5 seats. The seat-sharing talks between Lalu Yadav’s Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and Nitish Kumar’s Janata Dal (United) [JD (U)] in Bihar are also going through a rough patch.
Another challenge facing the opposition alliance is the lack of a clear prime ministerial candidate. While some parties have proposed Mallikarjun Kharge, the leader of the Congress in the Rajya Sabha, as a potential candidate, others have expressed reservations. This issue is likely to be a major point of contention in the coming months as the alliance tries to finalise its strategy for the elections.
In addition to these internal challenges, the opposition alliance is also facing pressure from the BJP, which has been aggressively campaigning and targeting the opposition parties. The BJP has a strong organisation and a large cadre of supporters, which gives it an advantage in the upcoming elections.
Overall, the opposition alliance is facing significant challenges in its quest to defeat the BJP in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. The parties need to overcome their differences and come together to present a united front if they want to have a chance of success.