Photo courtesy: ANI
New Delhi: The united opposition front comprising 26 political parties will be known as I-N-D-I-A the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance. The decision was taken at the crucial meet in Bengaluru on Tuesday. Congress’s Rahul Gandhi called it a “Modi versus INDIA” battle for the 2024 general elections.
“We are defending Constitution, voice of Indians and the idea of India. You know what happens to anyone who wants to fight the idea of India… The fight is between NDA and INDIA, Narendra Modi and INDIA, his ideology and INDIA. India always wins all fights,” said Rahul Gandhi. “The fight is about two different ideas of India… The voice of the country is being stifled. The fight is for the voice of the country. So this name was chosen — INDIA,” he added.
The name was arrived at after much deliberation on the second day of the mega meeting. Here’s what the parties said:
Left parties: wanted the word ‘Alliance’ to be changed to ‘Front.’
Others: were not too keen on ‘NDA’ in the name
Shiv Sena UBT chief Uddhav Thackeray: the name should not have any mention of opposition.
Finally, Rahul Gandhi came up with the acronym, tweeted Jitendra Ahwad of the Nationalist Congress Party. “His creativity was greatly appreciated,” his tweet read. “Chak de India,” read a tweet from Trinamool Congress’s Derek O’Brien soon after the name was decided on. “NDA can you challenge INDIA? BJP can you challenge INDIA?” said his boss, Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.
Addressing the media after the meet, Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge said, “The BJP wants to destroy democracy, Constitution, using autonomous bodies like CBI, ED, vigilance all such institutions against opposition party leaders and workers. This is a grave situation. We have come together to save this situation. How to save the country and the people of the country — this is the issue before us”.
As for who will lead the alliance, Kharge said they are making a coordination committee of 11. Members of the committee and the Convenor will be decided at a meeting in Mumbai. Calling today’s meeting “very good, constructive, fruitful,” Mamata Banerjee said the next meeting in Mumbai will also focus on a Common Minimum Programme.
Meanwhile, at an NDA meeting in Delhi, the BJP gathered together 38 parties, NDTV reported.
Members of I-N-D-I-A
Leaders from 26 opposition parties, in power individually or in alliance in Delhi and 10 states, include the Congress, Trinamool Congress, Dravida Munetra Kazhagam, Aam Aadmi Party, Janata Dal (United), Rashtriya Janata Dal. Jharkhand Mukti Morcha, Nationalist Congress Party, Shive Sena (UBT), Samajwadi Party, Rashtriya Lok Dal, Apna Dal (Kamerawadi), Jammu and Kashmir National Conference (NC), Peoples Democratic Party, Communist Party of India (Marxist), Communist Party of India, Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) Liberation, Revolutionary Socialist Party, All India Forward Bloc, Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi, Kongunadu Makkal Desia Katchi, Manithaneya Makkal Katchi, Indian Union Muslim League, Kerala Congress (M), and Kerala Congress (Joseph).,
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