In India, political parties view forming alliances as a smart way to combine their resources and improve their prospects of winning elections. However, INDI Alliance, the 28-party opposition coalition created to topple the BJP-led government in the Central region in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, appears to be heading in the complete opposite direction. It is really becoming less cohesive and more divided within, and it is still a long way from developing a clear strategy and seat-sharing plan to take on the saffron giant. It is a well-known fact, though, that maintaining these kinds of alliances may be difficult, particularly when the parties involved share the same goal of reaching the Treasury benches.
The possibility of India remaining united has been called into question due to the country's recent internal divisions, which include arguments about seat sharing, harsh criticism, and name-calling. The divisive topic of seat-sharing was one of the first indicators of difficulty; an agreement could not be reached even at the third meeting dedicated to the topic. Despite having a large national following, the Congress is always pitted against regional parties in the majority of States, including UP, Bihar, Maharashtra, West Bengal, and Tamil Nadu. These regional parties and the Congress consider each other as their primary rivals. The regional parties would not like this since it is their foundation and reason for existing if the Congress is unable to reduce its seat share.
A notable example of division within the INDI Alliance group emerged when JDU chief Nitish Kumar attacked the Congress for lacking the time to organise the newly formed bloc because it was so focused on the Assembly elections in five States. His critique can be interpreted as an expression of the irritation that leaders in the region occasionally experience inside national alliances. Another setback occurred when Akhilesh Yadav, the head of the Samajwadi Party and a former chief minister of Uttar Pradesh, called the Congress a “chaalu party.” Such disparaging language directed at a partner not only conveys the resentment inside the partnership but also provides political cover for the governing party. Regional leaders may use public criticism of their partners as a means of asserting their own identities.
Voters may become less confident in the alliance's capacity to enact stable and efficient government as a result of these internal disputes. However, when there is no way around such difficulties, only a constructive attitude and a committed effort may resolve interpersonal conflicts. It is true that everyone involved needs to have a practical attitude. Based on electoral mathematics, their chances of winning in 2024 are higher if they can turn the race into a one-on-one by fielding a single candidate. To maintain an equitable seat distribution, the component parties must find a way to balance respecting each other's caste- and region-based advantages. Conflicts over seat assignments may cause alliance members to become irate and mistrustful of one another.
