Opposition Unity and the Battle Against BJP: INDIA Alliance Gathers Momentum

The leaders of the Opposition INDIA alliance emphasized the need of defeating the governing BJP in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections notwithstanding rumblings inside the party, with the DMK singing the unity mantra in order to accomplish the objective.

Leading figures from the Congress, DMK, Left parties, and Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi—some of the components of the INDIA bloc—attended a "Democracy will win" gathering on Friday, which was hosted by the VCK.

In Tamil Nadu, VCK, led by Lok Sabha MP Thol Thirumavalavan, is a crucial ally of the DMK.

The well-attended conference featured speeches from DMK President and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin, as well as leaders of the CPI (M) and CPI, Sitaram Yechury and D Raja, respectively, and many others. The ruling Mahagathbandhan in Bihar appeared to be on tenterhooks due to strong indications that JD(U) President and state chief minister Nitish Kumar may make another U-turn and rejoin the BJP-led NDA.

The parties that make up the governing coalition in Bihar include JD(U), the Lalu Prasad Yadav-led RJD, the Congress, and the Left.

Two other members of the INDIA coalition, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Trinamul Congress (TMC), recently said that they will not support the Congress in West Bengal and Punjab, respectively, in the next Lok Sabha elections.

Stalin said in his speech that leaders of the INDIA bloc must understand that, just as the BJP was alarmed by the possibility of the Opposition coalition winning even a local Chandigarh mayoral election, the saffron party would lose power at the center if its followers band together.

He said that the BJP-led Central government "cancelled" even a mayor-level election since the conditions were ideal for victory, citing the delay of the Chandigarh mayor elections and the alliance between the AAP and Congress there. The media hailed the postponed municipal election later on as the INDIA alliance's "to-be first victory."

"The leaders of the INDIA alliance need to understand that the BJP is a threat when they call off even a municipal election. This must be put to use. We must seize the chance we now possess. We will beat the BJP if we stay together. Time will tell if democracy triumphs or not. Time will tell that Thirumavalavan will also triumph. Dr. Ambedkar cautioned against "the cult of personality," while Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge called for a political culture founded on "reason and dialogue." The VCK claimed that the Congress chairman could not attend the conference, but Su Thirunavukkarasar, the MP for his party in the Lok Sabha, read out Kharge's speech.

According to a remark from Kharge, Ambedkar understood the perils of unquestioning loyalty in both politics and religion. The creator of the Constitution emphasized the necessity for "rational thinking and a commitment to justice in our political discourse" and cautioned against the cult of personality. "Today, as we navigate a nation, where personality often overshades principles, let us follow Ambedkar's words and strive for a political culture based on reason, dialogue and inclusivity." After criticizing the BJP government on a number of fronts and outlining the difficulties and pressures on the federal system, Kharge made these statements.

Even money allocated for natural catastrophes is determined by the political party in control of the affected state. According to him, money for West Bengal's ration stores was recently "held up" because the establishments lacked images of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the "supreme leader."

Yechury said that Tamil Nadu was leading the nation in mounting a coordinated defense against the BJP and that the India Bloc was dedicated to preserving the essence of our republic.

He said that the BJP government posed a serious danger to federalism and said that the ruling class in the Central government was turning the secular democratic republic into a "fascist Hindutva rashtra." He stated that the government was moving the nation toward a unitary state and urged the INDIA Bloc, the opposition parties, to unite and fight the saffron party at the hustings. The BJP needed a unitary state, not a federal structure, to further its agenda.

"The only slogan we have to give today is to save India in order to change India for the better," Yechury said.

He warned the opposing parties that they needed to prepare for the "big political battle" against the forces that run our secular democratic republic's institutions from top to bottom. He said the most recent was that the administration would pick who gets appointed to the electoral commission.

Recalling Ambedkar's efforts in writing the Constitution, CPI General Secretary D Raja said that the former did not want India to turn into a Hindutva rashtra.

In a previous resolution, Thirumavalavan declared that all electronic voting machines (EVMs) in the local elections were to be "100%" connected to the Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) system, and voters had to place their VVPAT slips in different boxes. Election officials may only announce results based on the total number of VVPAT slips. The party conference approved his resolution.

Thirumavalavan offered 33 resolutions, all of which were approved at the meeting. Additionally, the VCK called for the adoption of a proportional representation system in elections.