Omkar Dattatray
The opposition bloc I.N.D.I.As unity is most uncertain and with each passing day it is falling apart .The big shock to the opposition unity is the coming out from it ,severing relations with I.N.D.I.A and aligning with NDA by Nitish Kumar the architect of the opposition unity called I.N.D.I.A .Strong ,constructive and positive opposition is sane -quo -non of the parliamentary democracy and without the strong opposition ,a functional ,dynamic and vibrant democracy is not possible and so the treasury benches should not aim to erase the opposition in the interest of democratic functioning .Thus I.N.D.I .A is most needed for the successful working of our democracy .But it is very disturbing and unfortunate that the coalition partners are in conflict with each other and in this way the day will not be far off when the opposition unity and alliance called I.N.D.I.A will fall like a house of cards .The leaders of I.N.D.I.A have ego and do not like to make sacrifice for the cause of opposition unity .The greatest blow to I.N.D.I.A came because of the parting of the ways with it by none other than the co-founder of the opposition alliance .Nothing good is going on in the opposition alliance and they cannot take on the formidable BJP/NDA in the ensuing general elections and in the state assembly elections .It seems that the opposition unity particularly the I.N.D.I.A is on ventilator and it is dying and cannot give a tough fight to the BJP in the ensuing general elections .Not only has Nitish Kumar deceived the opposition alliance and parted ways with the Mahaghatbandhan and allied with the NDA ,but AAP chairman and the Delhi chief minister ,Mamata Banarjee ,SP president Aklish Yadav and the AAP’s Bhagwant Maan who is the chief minister of Punjab are not comfortable with congress and hence with the alliance .Samajwadi Party had agreed to give 11 assembly seats in Punjab assembly elections to the congress but at the same time has announced the list of 16 party candidates thus dashing the hopes of Congress-SP alliance .Similarly TMC of Mamta Banerjee is also not comfortable with the congress and talks to go alone in west Bengal .If I.N.D.I.A and its alliance partners like to fight the general elections as one combination ,its leaders should imbibe the tenet of sacrifice and should thus be ready to sacrifice some seats to the congress and each other to fight the NDA and Modi .There is infighting among the leaders of the I.N.D.I A and its leaders are at cross roads with one another and there is factionalism ,groupism and clashes between the leaders of the opposition parties and every leaders wants to be the prime ministerial face of the I.N.D.I.A and thus there is lack of unity in the opposition front and thus it is very difficult for the opposition front to fight the NDA/BJP in the Lok Sabha polls .The opposition parties should work as one combination of different parties and should leave the issue of nominating the prime ministerial face before the polls and this issue should be left to be decided after fighting the elections jointly .The leaders of opposition bloc should learn the principle of give and take and they should be ready for sacrifice of seats to each other and they should work in unity ,cohesion and unison for the good of the alliance partners .Thus selfish and narrow interests should be shelved in the interest of opposition unity so that it can give a strong and tough fight to the BJP in the Lok sabha polls .All the leaders of the opposition front should work under the guidance of its convener who is also the president of congress party and so all the constituent units of the I.N.D.I.A should work in the interest of the opposition unity so that it can take on the BJP at the time of elections .Opposition parties had chosen a new name ,INDIA ,but they still have miles to go .In fact an alliance of Indian opposition parties ,called INDIA ,joins forces to take on Modi .India’s popular and polarizing prime minister ,Narendra Modi ,has a fondness for abbreviations that create a buzz around his government schemes and dress down his rivals .The opposition had announced a new alliance called INDIA to unseat Modi and defeat his ruling party’s electoral Juggernaut .The acronym ,which stands for Indian National Developmental ,Inclusive Alliance ,comprises India’s previously fractured opposition parties that are aiming to keep the Modi government’s increasingly powerful sway at bay .At stake ,the alliance says ,is the future of India’s multiparty democracy and secular foundations that critics say have seen assaults from Modi’s Hindu nationalist BJP .The opposition alliance is playing on its acronym ,saying it will be Modi versus the country in 2024 polls .Modi will seek reelection to a third consecutive term in a national vote this year at a time when India’s diplomatic reach is rising .However his rule at home has coincided with a struggling economy ,rising unemployment ,attacks by Hindu nationalists on country’s minorities particularly Muslims and a shrinking space for dissent .India’s BJP and congress both battling political infighting. .While BJP’s problems stem from excessive micromanaging by its leaders ,the congress woes arise from its weak leadership .The opposition front comprising 26 parties has a new name INDIA which stands for Indian ,national Developmental inclusive alliance. All the twenty six parties have agreed to this name for one of the largest opposition front since independence .But today there is infighting ,groupism in the opposition front and the INDIA will fall at any time due to the infighting in the opposition bloc ,it can hardly take on the BJP in the polls and there is disunity ,confusion and chaos in the INDIA and its health is in bad shape and it cannot fight the BJP in the ensuing general polls .If the opposition front is divided INDIA ,how can it fight the Modi and BJP is a moot question .Only a unified and combined opposition can fight the BJP in the elections .But so far as INDIA is concerned there is dearth and lack of unity and the opposition is highly divided and thus it cannot take on the BJP in the general elections .For checkmating BJP and keeping Modi away from again coming to power for the third time in succession ,there is great need that the INDIA should work and fight the BJP and Modi as a united opposition. Otherwise it is more likely that the BJP will again sweep the Lok Sabha elections and therefore the opposition alliance should give importance to unity move and then fight the Modi and BJP as a joint force and not a pent up force.However so far as opposition unity is concerned it is in doldrums and the result will be a Modi government at the third time.
(The author is a columnist,social and KP activist).
