The opposition alliance that will take on the ruling BJP in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections has been named INDIA. Mallikarjun Kharge, president of the main opposition Congress party, said INDIA stood for ‘Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance’.
Top leaders of 26 opposition parties met in Bengaluru on July 17-18 to discuss a united strategy to take on the ruling BJP in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.
After the two-day meeting, they announced that they had joined hands to form an alliance called ‘INDIA’ to take on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. They decided to form a coordination committee comprising 11 members.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge told mediapersons, “We’ll fight 2024 Lok Sabha elections unitedly, and succeed. The first achievement of the alliance is the unanimous agreement on the name. We are calling it ‘Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance – INDIA’. There is a deep meaning in this…”
West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee said, “I want to ask BJP and NDA, can they challenge INDIA? INDIA will win, our country will win, and BJP will lose.”
Addressing mediapersons, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said, “The name INDIA symbolises our determination to defend idea of India. The idea of India being attacked by ideology of BJP. The country’s wealth is being handed over to a few businessmen. Our fight is against ideology that is attacking our country; it’s not BJP vs opposition fight.”
Next meeting of the opposition alliance will be held in Mumbai.
Earlier in the day on July 18, indicating that such a name is being considered, Congress Lok Sabha MP Manickam Tagore said on Twitter, “INDIA will win.” “Chak De! INDIA,” tweeted Trinamool Congress MP Derek O’Brien even as the meeting was underway.
