Indian opposition parties form ‘INDIA’ alliance for 2024 election

More than two dozen Indian opposition parties have joined hands to form an alliance called “INDIA” to take on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in parliamentary elections next year.

More than two dozen Indian opposition parties have joined hands to form an alliance called “INDIA” to take on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in parliamentary elections next year.

The decision was announced on Tuesday at the end of a two-day meeting of 26 parties in the southern city of Bengaluru.

Mallikarjun Kharge, president of the main opposition Congress party, said INDIA stood for “Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance”.

“The main aim is to stand together to safeguard democracy and the Constitution,” Kharge told reporters at the end of a two-day meeting of 26 opposition parties.

Naming the alliance INDIA is seen as an attempt by the opposition parties to challenge the BJP on its own nationalist platform in elections due by May 2024.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said the fight against BJP is a fight to “defend the idea of India, defend the voice of the Indian people”.