Simmering differences within the INDIA bloc are coming to the fore, with demands to make Mamata Banerjee the leader of the alliance. The Samajwadi Party, Sharad Pawar’s NCP, and the Congress’ trusted ally, the RJD, have all echoed the need for a strong leader like Mamata to head the coalition.
Even National Conference leader Omar Abdullah, who fought the Jammu and Kashmir polls in alliance with the Congress, has urged the Grand Old Party to prove its ability to lead the Opposition with a clear strategy. The Aam Aadmi Party has already announced that it will contest the Delhi elections in February 2025 independently, severing ties with the Congress, its ally in the Lok Sabha elections in the Capital.
The Congress, the largest party in the INDIA bloc with 99 Lok Sabha seats, is increasingly being sidelined by other members, who doubt Rahul Gandhi’s leadership potential. Following the Congress’ defeats in Haryana and Maharashtra, parties like the SP and Trinamool Congress are distancing themselves from the party. In the ongoing Parliament session, the Congress’ relentless focus on the Adani bribery case and its demand for a Joint Parliamentary Committee probe—resulting in frequent adjournments—have irked alliance partners. They wanted to discuss other issues like the Sambhal communal violence, Bangladesh’s political situation, and the Manipur crisis. Ultimately, the Congress had to relent to pressure from its allies and agree to let Parliament function.
The only point of consensus among INDIA bloc members has been the decision to seek Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankar’s impeachment for his alleged partisan behavior.
These fissures have emboldened the BJP, which has celebrated its Maharashtra victories. By targeting the Congress over alleged links to George Soros and portraying it as destabilizing the nation, the BJP has managed to deflect attention from the Adani bribery case—a serious issue warranting debate.
The pressing question remains whether the Congress, despite its numerical strength, will cede leadership to Trinamool supremo Mamata Banerjee.
While the Congress has consistently attacked the NDA government on crony capitalism, communalism, and the neglect of minorities, it remains hampered by its dependence on the Nehru-Gandhi family and lack of grassroots organization. A complete overhaul of its structure and strategy is crucial to effectively challenge the BJP. Though Trinamool Congress and the SP are strong regional players, they lack a pan-India presence essential to counter the BJP-RSS combine. Despite setbacks, the Congress still appears to be the obvious choice for leading the INDIA bloc, though its complacency after its general election gains has cost it dearly.
The Congress’ focus on soft Hindutva and the caste census, rather than core issues like inflation and unemployment, has alienated voters. While it punctured the BJP’s “400 paar” narrative during the Lok Sabha elections, the BJP rebounded with welfare and women-centric schemes that turned the tide in key states. To emerge as an effective Opposition, the Congress must learn from its mistakes, strengthen its grassroots, and recalibrate its strategy to lead a united INDIA bloc against the BJP.
