Opposition Parties: Readying For 2024
Editor-in-Chief of indiacommentary.com. Current Affairs analyst and political commentator.
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By Sunil Garodia
First publised on 2021-08-21 07:00:02
About the Author
Editor-in-Chief of indiacommentary.com. Current Affairs analyst and political commentator.
View all posts by this Author
19 opposition parties held a virtual meeting on Friday to take forward the recent spirit of cooperation displayed during the recently concluded monsoon session of Parliament. The meeting was called by Congress president Sonia Gandhi and attended by TMC, DMK, NCP, Shiv Sena, JMM, CPI, CPM, RJD, JD(S), RLD, NC and PDP, among others. It was decided to conduct a nationwide stir against the Modi government from September 20 to 30. The parties decided that they will join hands to make the people aware of the anti-people policies of the government and the way it was mishandling the economy causing immense hardships to the common people. They also raised an 11-point charter of demand before the Modi government which included demands for repealing the new farm laws, augmenting vaccine supply, cash transfers to those outside income tax bracket and reduction of Central excise on fuel.
Urging the parties to start preparing for the 2024 election, Sonia Gandhi urged them to work for an alternative government that was based on the "values of the freedom struggle and the Constitution". She also urged them to set aside differences and 'compulsions' and join hands to work together and defeat the Modi government. TMC leader and West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee added that the question of leadership need not be addressed at present.
But Banerjee made a pertinent point when she said that the entire opposition, including those parties that are not aligned with the Congress, must be invited to these meetings. She was referring to the fact that parties like the BSP, AAP, MiM, TRS, BJD and the YSR Congress that were either not invited or chose to skip the meeting. She said that "personal interest" must be made subservient to the interests of the nation and all opposition parties must come together to take on the BJP.
It is good that the opposition is building upon the coordination that they have established at the top level recently which was proved when they jointly disrupted the parliament during the monsoon session by cornering the government on several issues, including the use of Pegasus spyware and rising prices. It is evident that by proposing to hold a ten-day nationwide joint protest, these parties now want the spirit of cooperation to reach the grassroots and result in an alliance at booth level.
But the problem that such an alliance will face was evident from the attendance at the meeting. Since the meeting was called by the Congress, some parties were not invited. Some others who are not comfortable with the Congress chose to skip it. Although Mamata Banerjee has rightly said that the question of leadership must be addressed at an appropriate time, it is clear that the Congress will want to assume the mantle and that will make it difficult to bring many parties on board. The dilemma before the opposition is clear: the Congress must be included in any national alliance as it is the only party with all-India infrastructure and acceptance but some parties are unlikely to accept it. The opposition will have to decide how it will form a workable and effective alliance with the willing parties.
