For the opposition bloc INDIA, the first day was marked by their protests holding the copy of the Indian constitution since the defending of the constitution was the core point in the recent campaign of the INDIA constituents in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. . In the current session also, the opposition parties will be fighting to reverse the process of democracy's backsliding that took place in the last ten years of the Narendra Modi regime.

In fact, for the combined opposition, the present period is a good time for not only consolidating the gains that have been achieved in the Lok Sabha elections but also to expand the INDIA bloc to include a few more political parties which have been distancing themselves from the BJP after the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, even they were supportive of PM in the recent years.

Of immediate interest is the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) in Odisha which got no seat in the Lok Sabha in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections and also was trounced by the BJP in the assembly elections. The BJD supremo Naveen Patnaik has made a thorough review of the post election situation. He has decided to snap his earlier understanding with the BJP and instructed his nine Rajya Sabha MPs to coordinate with the opposition and fight the Narendra Modi government on policies.

This is a positive development for the INDIA bloc as till the 2024 polls, Naveen Patnaik has been maintaining an understanding with the NDA, especially the Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his party BJD voted for the government on crucial bills. But on June 24, the BJD supremo signalled a sharp departure from his previous position and asked the Rajya Sabha members to function as a strong and vibrant opposition that would make the centre accountable on all issues.

This change in stand of the BJD supremo has implications for the opposition in its functioning in Rajya Sabha in the current session. BJD has nine members in Rajya Sabha. Presently, the Rajya Sabha has 85 members of INDIA bloc in a house of 245. If the BJD members join, the number will go up to 94. Further, YSRCP has got 11 members in Rajya Sabha. The YSRCP supremo has talked to them and they are expected also to cooperate with the INDIA bloc. In that case, the opposition’s strength will go up to 105. That will add substantially to the fire power of the opposition in the present Rajya Sabha.

Already BJD and YSRCP members have talked to the senior leaders of the TMC. TMC sources say that a few more small parties having seat in Rajya Sabha are also interested to cooperate with the INDIA bloc in the current Parliament session. There is some issue about the Congress which has to be sorted out. Some of the parties outside the INDIA bloc have reservations about talking to the Congress directly right now due to state related issues. INDIA bloc can designate the senior members of any other party like TMC and DMK to talk to them. The objective should be to expand the base of the opposition in new areas to fight the BJP better.

The opposition has no time left to rest on its limited laurels in the Lok Sabha elections. The state assembly elections are approaching. The results of these elections will be crucial for the stability of the Modi.3 government. Maharashtra, Haryana and Jharkhand are expected to go for assembly elections by this year end. This will be followed by the elections in Delhi and Bihar in 2025. The election strategy in Maharashtra, Jharkhand, Haryana and Bihar which have solid opposition combine, has to be worked out and seat sharing must be completed much in advance of the poll date. All the four states have the potential to elect governments led by INDIA bloc. In Delhi, AAP can be trusted to do well even if there is no alliance with the Congress in the assembly polls.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is a bit chastened following the BJP’s poll debacle. But INDIA bloc should not underestimate his capacity for making a turnaround for BJP. PM Team has already started the process of identifying the fault lines and propose to take corrective measures, both at political level as also at a government level. Some government measures are expected to be unfolded in the 2024-25 budget to be presented later next month. Narendra Modi is a bit wounded electorally as also politically, but he has that uncanny power to overcome that and emerge stronger. INDIA bloc has to keep this in mind.

That way, the next three months should be crucial for the INDIA bloc.. Apart from expanding the areas of cooperation in Parliament with other political parties, the members have to fight vigorously for the withdrawal of the three criminal laws which are supposed to take effect from July 1 this year. The demand for the withdrawal of the four labour codes must figure prominently in the debates in Parliament. The farmers movement’s pending demands including legal guarantee of the MSP, have to be highlighted. But topping all, should be the big fight for changing the present economic policy of jobless growth in favour of new policy of setting up industries with high job potential. The tasks are cut out for opposition for the remaining months of 2024. It is up to the INDIA bloc to respond. (IPA Service)