Indian opposition alliance resolves to fight general elections jointly

By Shuriah Niazi

NEW DELHI (AA) – India’s newly formed opposition alliance has resolved to fight the upcoming general elections jointly, the alliance announced on Friday.

“We, the INDIA (an acronym for Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance) parties, hereby resolve to contest the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections together as far as possible,” said Jairam Ramesh, a top leader of the main opposition Indian National Congress party and the alliance member. “Seat-sharing arrangements in different states will be initiated immediately and concluded at the earliest in a collaborative spirit of give-and-take,” he wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.

More than two dozen Indian opposition parties formed the "INDIA" alliance in July to challenge Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party in upcoming parliamentary elections next year.

Noting the parties have resolved "to organize public rallies at the earliest in different parts of the country on issues of public concern and importance," Ramesh said it was also decided to coordinate "our respective communications and media strategies and campaigns with the theme ‘Judega Bharat, Jitega India’ (India will unite and win) in different languages."

Top opposition party leaders arrived in the financial capital Mumbai to hold the third meeting of the alliance.

On Thursday, the Indian government called a "special session of Parliament" to be held from Sept. 18 to 22. The government, however, has not revealed the agenda of the parliament session.

General elections in the country are scheduled to be held next year. In 2019, BJP won more than 300 seats in the 543-member Lok Sabha, the lower house of India's parliament.

The announcement of the parliament session has come amid statements by a few opposition party leaders claiming that the government might call early elections.

- ‘One nation, one election’

The Indian government is reported to have constituted a committee headed by former President Ram Nath Kovind to explore the possibility of "one nation, one election," according to Press Trust of India (PTI) on Friday. The setting up of the committee was confirmed by Indian Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi.

Opposition leaders, however, criticized the government’s move to set up a committee to study the feasibility of "one nation, one election." They said that the government should also consult with other political parties before taking any decision.