INDIA Is The New Name Of Opposition Bloc

It is official. The 26 Opposition parties, which met in Bengaluru to devise a roadmap for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, have zeroed in on 'INDIA' as the name of its bloc.

"Our alliance will be called Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance," Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge formally announced the name of the anti-BJP alliance in Bengaluru on Tuesday.

INDIA stands for the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance. Earlier reports claimed that there were four names under consideration including 'Patriotic Democratic Alliance' or PDA.

While Sonia Gandhi will be heading this alliance, Nitish Kumar will be the convenor of INDIA, according to a report in NDTV.

The next opposition meeting will be held in Mumbai and the date will be announced soon, the Congress President said. "An 11-member coordination committee will be set up. Names of committee members will be announced in Mumbai," he said.

It may be recalled that under the leadership of Sonia Gandhi, the Congress had formed the anti-BJP alliance called the UPA between 1998-2014.

The anti-BJP alliance has also decided to form two subcommittees: The first subcommittee will be responsible for concluding the common minimum program and defining communication points. The second subcommittee's mandate will involve strategizing joint opposition events, rallies, and conventions, the report stated.

Even before the name of the anti-BJP alliance was officially announced, there were reports that the leaders have zeroed in on INDIA as the name of the bloc.

Shiv Sena leader Priyanka Chaturvedi has confirmed that the name of the anti-BJP alliance will be called as "INDIA". She tweeted, "So 2024 will be
Team INDIA Vs Team NDA Chak De, INDIA!"

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.

Congress Not Interested In PM Post

Speaking on the second day of the Opposition meeting in Bengaluru, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge said his party is not interested in power or in the Prime Minister's post.

"Our intention in this meeting is not to gain power for ourselves. It is to protect our Constitution, democracy, secularism and social justice". He admitted to differences among opposition parties at the state level but noted that these are not ideological.

"These differences are not so big that we cannot put them behind for the sake of the common man and middle-class suffering due to inflation, for the sake of our youth suffering due to unemployment, for the sake of the poor, Dalits, Adivasis and the minorities whose rights are being crushed silently behind the scenes," the Congress chief said.