New Delhi: As the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) parties are all set for their third meeting in Mumbai, two developments preceding it may have just foregrounded the ideological contours of the grand coalition.
A day ahead of the meeting, Bihar chief minister and one of the biggest stakeholders of INDIA, Nitish Kumar declared that the Bihar caste census has been completed and its report will be out soon. Down south, the Congress government in Karnataka kickstarted the Gruha Lakshmi scheme that guarantees a sum of Rs 2000 per month to women head of families, in what is the biggest direct benefit transfer scheme in the world.
The demand for a pan-India caste census has slowly been gaining ground, especially in the Hindi heartland at the behest of the Mandal parties, which believe that having a caste census may allow governments to pass on welfare benefits in a better and more organised way. The BJP has been mostly reluctant, or even confused, in getting a caste census implemented, as could be seen in the Narendra Modi government’s flip-flop over the issue in the Supreme Court. However, Mandal parties like the Rashtriya Janata Dal, Janata Dal (United), and even the Samajwadi Party have been consistent in their demand to get it implemented. With Bihar showing the way, it is most likely that the caste census will dominate the INDIA bloc’s talk ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, with the alliance hoping that the issue could reorient political debates and discussions away from BJP’s brand of nationalism and the Brand Modi.
The Congress, on the other hand, implemented the Gruha Lakshmi scheme on the 100th day of the Siddaramaiah-led Karnataka government. Speaking at the inauguration at Mysuru, Rahul Gandhi said that the Congress’s five poll guarantees, four of which have already been implemented, were not merely schemes but “a governance model” – one that is geared towards the welfare of the marginalised sections and the poor. Many Congress leaders also spoke about how the implementation of the schemes in Karnataka were actually a payback to the taxpayers of the country, contrasting that with the Modi government’s alleged favouritism towards “billionaires”. At the same time, Gandhi emphasised the party’s responsiveness to people’s problems and struggles, even as he insisted the grand old party is committed to the empowerment of women.
The combination of universal welfarist measures and social justice politics does not merely reflect the INDIA bloc’s political posturing ahead of the 2024 polls but also swiftly fuses the different ideological roots of the 26 parties under one common umbrella. The coming together of these historically inimical parties can be credited to the BJP’s aggression against the opposition. If they were forced to come together to challenge the BJP’s hegemony in Indian politics, the INDIA parties haven’t missed a chance to highlight the ruling party’s alleged authoritarianism, overreach and disrespect towards the constitution and political conventions over the last few years.
Ahead of the Mumbai meeting, former Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray articulated a similar sentiment. He said he would prefer INDIA to be called a grouping to safeguard “Bharat Mata” against an authoritarian regime instead of the “opposition”. “Yes, all of us are of different ideologies. But our aim is to safeguard the Constitution… We are here to safeguard democracy. We will not let any dictator chain Bharat Mata.”
The political necessity of INDIA has been amply clear from the multiple statements of opposition leaders. With concrete steps being taken in states where its constituents are ruling, the alliance’s political campaign is also gradually becoming clearer by the day. The INDIA campaign may not just hinge upon mounting a critique of the Modi government on its apparent failures in generating sufficient employment or containing the price rise of essential commodities or its alleged autocratic excesses. But it is also likely to hold out concrete promises and a development vision for the electorate.
The Mumbai meeting is likely to iron out many of these issues. A 11-member committee and various subcommittees are expected to be formed, which will be steered by a president and a convenor. By how the events have shaped up in the last few months, Sonia Gandhi and Nitish Kumar are frontrunners for the positions, although many in the INDIA bloc are also said to be aspirants.
Some of the contentious issues are also likely to be discussed in the Mumbai meeting. The Aam Aadmi Party and the Congress will have to resolve their differences, while the Left parties and the Trinamool Congress will also have to sort out an arrangement to be less hostile towards each other.
Some INDIA leaders have also advocated having a common symbol for the alliance for a common campaign. The committees that will be formed will chalk out a common minimum programme and a campaign strategy that will be taken up nationally.
The senior most leader of INDIA, Sharad Pawar, who is currently tackling a rebellion in his party, has said that two more parties will join the alliance in Mumbai, taking the total tally of parties to 28. Seat-sharing talks will most likely be postponed as of now. However, the Mumbai meeting will set the parties off towards the finish line, their first challenge being the upcoming assembly elections in Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, and Madhya Pradesh.
