Opposition Parties in India Form Coalition to Defeat Narendra Modi

More than twenty opposition parties in India formed a coalition named 'India' on Tuesday, July 18, aiming to oust the Bharatiya Janata Party, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in the upcoming Congress elections. Leaders of these parties stated that they have united to create the 'India' coalition to compete against the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party in the parliamentary elections scheduled for May 2024. Mallikarjun Kharge, the president of the main opposition party, Congress, said that the 'India' coalition supports the 'comprehensive national development unity of India.' At the end of a two-day meeting of 26 opposition parties in Bangalore, southern India, Kharge told reporters, 'The main goal is to stand together to protect democracy and the constitution.' According to Reuters, this was the second meeting of opposition parties in the past month, aimed at resolving differences and creating a common ground for victory in next year's elections. In the first meeting held in July, 15 parties agreed to unite against the Bharatiya Janata Party. Following the conviction of Rahul Gandhi, the leader of the Congress party, in a defamation case and his disqualification from Parliament last March, they are seeking to quell their differences to challenge the Bharatiya Janata Party. Meanwhile, the Bharatiya Janata Party has labeled the opposition as a 'coalition of opportunists and corrupt individuals' and criticized it. The party also held a meeting on Tuesday with leaders from 38 parties in the 'National Democratic Alliance.' The 'India' coalition's statement noted that 'the characteristics of the Republic of India are systematically under severe attack by the Bharatiya Janata Party.' This coalition committed to protecting the founding ideas of India as stated in the constitution. India stated that it will focus on combating rising prices and unemployment, marking the first sign of a shared political and economic policy among coalition members. The coalition's statement emphasized, 'We must build a fair economy with a strong and strategic public sector and a competitive and thriving private sector, where the spirit of entrepreneurship is strengthened and every opportunity for expansion is given.' Rahul Gandhi also stated that the fight against the Bharatiya Janata Party is a struggle for 'defending the idea of India and defending the voice of the people of India.' The Congress party is preparing a strategy following Rahul Gandhi's defeat to lead the most important opposition party in the Indian Congress. Amid the ongoing COVID-19 crisis, the Prime Minister of India dismissed twelve cabinet ministers. Protesters in India demanded the expulsion of a lawmaker accused of assault from the ruling party.