Why INDI Alliance has chosen to sit in the Opposition benches in Parliament

Until late last evening (5 June), there was conjecture whether the INDI Alliance, the main Opposition grouping, would try to stake claim to government formation. This even as reports emerged that the Narendra Modi-led NDA government would most likely be sworn in on 8 June.

However, on Wednesday night, the INDI Alliance put all rumours to bed when it announced that it would sit in the Opposition and make no attempts to form the government after leaders of the bloc met at Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge’s residence.

We take a closer look at the factors that led the Opposition grouping to come to this decision. Also what are the plans for the INDI Alliance after the results have been declared.

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How did INDI Alliance decide to be in Opposition?

Following the declaration of the Lok Sabha results, leaders of the INDI Alliance met at Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge’s residence in the National Capital to decide the future of the grouping.

This meeting came even as questions and calls emerged of them trying to stake claim to form the government . In fact, Shiv Sena (UBT) chief on Tuesday (4 June) was one of the first who had said that the alliance should claim to form a government at the Centre. “We should claim to form government,” said the former Maharashtra chief minister.

The calls grew louder as the INDI Alliance performed far better than anyone predicted, winning 234 seats in the Lok Sabha elections.

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Hence, on Wednesday, the INDI Alliance met to discuss their future. At the start of the nearly two-hour meeting, which saw other leaders such as NCP chief Sharad Pawar, DMK chief MK Stalin, RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav and others, Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge said: “The mandate is decisively against Mr Modi, against him and the substance and style of his politics. It is a huge political loss for him personally apart from being a clear moral defeat as well. However, he is determined to subvert the will of the people.”

He added that the alliance welcomes all parties that share a fundamental commitment to the values enshrined in the Preamble of the Constitution.

And after two hours of intense discussions and deliberations, the INDI bloc put out a joint statement which read: “The constituents of the India bloc thank the people of India for the overwhelming support received by our alliance. The people’s mandate has given a befitting reply to the BJP and their politics of hate, corruption and deprivation. This is a political and moral defeat of Prime Minister, Sh Narendra Modi.

The constituents of the INDIA Bloc thank the people of India for the overwhelming support received by our alliance. The people’s mandate has given a befitting reply to the BJP and their politics of hate, corruption and deprivation. This is a political and moral defeat of Prime… pic.twitter.com/oWyQSrxWBR

— Mallikarjun Kharge (@kharge) June 5, 2024

“The India bloc will continue to fight against the fascist rule of the BJP led by Sh Modi. We will take appropriate steps at the appropriate time to realise the people’s desire not to be ruled by the BJP’s government,” it added.

What could have been the reasons behind this decision?

The INDI Alliance said that it wanted to respect the numbers — the NDA secured 292 seats while they bagged 234 — and that the leaders weren’t power hungry.

Moreover, many political pundits have noted that the Congress believes that this Modi Sarkar is uncertain, owing to its slippery allies , namely the JD(U) and the TDP. Both parties have historically sided with different political coalitions to suit their interests. Among the two, JD(U) chief Nitish Kumar has also earned the moniker of ‘paltu ram’ owing to his several political switches.

In such a situation, a stronger Opposition would make more sense for the INDI Alliance. Experts note that the leaders of the bloc believe that they will be able to exert more power this time around as an Opposition in the Lower House of Parliament, thus winning them more support from the public.

Insiders have also reportedly said that the Congress doesn’t want to deal with the same coalition pressures that the BJP will face if they try to stake claim to form the government. It is clear that the Modi-led BJP will have to be more conciliatory this time around to its allies, and grant them more power and Cabinet berths. In fact, the TDP and JD(U) have already begun lobbying for more posts in Modi 3.0 Cabinet.

What comes next for the INDI Alliance?

It has been reported that the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha will be from the Congress as it is the largest party in the bloc. Of the 234 seats that the grouping won, the Congress bagged 99 seats, whereas the Samajwadi Party (SP) emerged second with 37 seats.

It will be interesting to see how the INDI Alliance functions in Parliament. An Economic Times report states that the bloc is bound to up its ante inside and outside the Lower House.

The Alliance has, indeed, come a long way from its bumpy start. One of the architects of this grouping, Nitish Kumar, himself, deserted it midway, jumping ship the NDA. However, today, the INDI Alliance has only reasons to celebrate. It has been able to shatter the so-called invincibility around Narendra Modi at the polls.

However, another task remains. Will it be able to steer through this arrangement for the next five years? Only time will tell.

With inputs from agencies