The tale of two alliances evolved to a new pitch, as if it was a cricket contest between India and Pakistan, or like a nuclear test such as in 1998, when India conducted five nuclear bomb tests at Pokharan II between May 11 and May 13, and in a show strength Pakistan carried out same number of underground nuclear tests few days after at Chagai I on May 28, 1998 to convey that they were not behind anyone.

Similar psychological symptoms were manifest on July 18, when BJP said that they had then 38 political parties in NDA. The Bengaluru opposition meet, which was second in the series, on the same day saw participation of 26 anti-BJP political parties. PM Narendra Modi had boasted in the NDA meet that day, “NDA’s vote share will be above 50 per cent because of its allies who are working hard.”

The reality is that the old NDA was dead by that time, and the BJP was trying to refurbish NDA in the light of emergence of INDIA opposition alliance, and the anxiety ridded BJP leadership had hurriedly called an NDA meet, the alliance the BJP leadership has already made redundant. During the first term of PM Narendra Modi between 2014 and January 2019, 16 political parties had quit NDA, the 16th was the AGP of Assam. By the end of June 2023, BJP leadership has almost rendered the NDA redundant, leaving many allies insecure and prospective partners wary of joining the platform.

Refurbishing the NDA was, therefore, not an easy task, as seen in the first refurbished NDA meet on July 18, in which mostly politically insignificant parties participated. Though the number of political parties participated was 38 much above 26 in the opposition India alliance, BJP had not much more to gain since most of their alliance partners had little or almost no strength of the ground. BJP remained only national party in the NDA, while it had only 9 state parties on board which included AIADMK, NDPP, NPF, AJSUP, SKM, MNF, IPFT, AGP, and PKM. There were 29 registered unrecognized political parties in the refurbished NDA.

The major political parties that were once part of NDA included SAD of Punjab, TDP of Andhra Pradesh, Shiv Sena (now suffered split) of Maharashtra, and JU(U) of Bihar. JD(U) and Shiv Sena (UBT) is part of opposition alliance now, while TDP has lost much of its political ground in his state. SAD is not willing to return to the NDA fold, that quit the alliance on farm laws in 2020. Though SHS (Eknath) and NCP (Ajit Pawar) are now in NDA, BJP will have to fight a tough political battle even in Maharashtra on account of strong INDIA alliance having Congress, NCP (Sharad Pawar) and SHS (UBT) on the other side.

The prospect of further expansion gaining strength of INDIA alliance have exasperated the anxiety of the BJP leadership. The heightened anxiety seems to have turned worse with manifestation of spine-chilling symptom in the very announcement of NDA meet on September 1 in Mumbai, also in a bid to show of strength, on the same day when the third Mumbai INDIA meet is scheduled which is all set to expand with more than 26 political parties on board. BJP’s leadership has announced for the NDA meet just three days ahead on August 28 of the INDIA meet.

The pattern of announcements of NDA meets on the same day as INDIA meets reveal that the INDIA alliance has already put the BJP leadership on tenterhooks or why should they announce NDA meet in the same fashion as of Pakistan that test-exploded nuke bombs within days after India conducted Pokharan II tests in 1998?

The pattern reveals weaknesses that cropped up in BJP and its leadership in the last nine years of their authoritarian attitude that alienated many of the NDA partners forcing them to quit NDA with a sense of unease. Refurbishing NDA has therefore become difficult, but the BJP leadership is in the urgent need to show that NDA is also gaining strength.

Mumbai in Maharashtra is therefore selected to showcase NDA strength on the same day on September 1, when INDIA alliance would present its concrete roadmap to fight PM Modi led BJP government at the Centre in 2024 election. It would be a meet of NDA in Maharashtra in which the new partner – NCP led by Ajit Pawar – would also participate along with all others including Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde) and the BJP.

On timing of the NDA meet, NCP MP Sunil Tatkare said “Our meeting was planned long back before the last assembly monsoon session”. It must be recalled that the Maharashtra monsoon session had begun on July 17, and by that time NDA had only announced its fist meeting on July 18. How come refurbished NDA had planned Maharashtra meet, second in series, much before that date, while the first meet was announced only about a week before. The actual announcement of NDA Maharashtra meet came only on August 28. It shows betrays the acute anxiety that NDA is suffering from.

Refurbishing NDA at the national level is still seems to be difficult task for the BJP leadership when several other non-BJP political parties across the states have expressed willingness to join INDIA alliance which may include some of the former NDA partners. Talks are going on with SAD and BRS who may decide to joint INDIA in future, while INLD of Haryana and Maharashtra Shetkari Dal may join INDIA meet in Mumbai. (IPA Service)