New Delhi: First, the split between AAP and Congress in Delhi Assembly elections and now Uddhav Thackeray’s announcement of contesting BMC elections alone, has driven a significant wedge into INDIA alliance. Four prominent leaders associated with the alliance have either hinted at its dissolution or spoken about ending it altogether.
Congress media in-charge Pawan Khera said on Friday that INDIA alliance was formed solely for Lok Sabha elections. RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav echoed a similar sentiment. However, some parties are still awaiting an official announcement regarding the alliance’s future.
How did INDIA alliance reach brink of collapse?
The foundation of INDIA alliance was laid in Bengaluru in July 2023, with 26 parties joining the coalition. During Lok Sabha elections, the alliance posed a challenge to NDA in states like Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Jharkhand and Bihar. As a result, BJP failed to secure a majority on its own.
In the elections, NDA won 296 seats, while INDIA alliance secured 230 seats. The alliance considered this a victory. However, just eight months after Lok Sabha elections, the alliance appears to be on the verge of breaking apart, with only an official announcement pending. Four major reasons are being attributed to this split:
- Tensions after Haryana elections: According to Shivanand Tiwari, a senior leader of RJD, cracks in the alliance began to appear after Haryana assembly elections. Congress lost a winnable election in Haryana due to its rigid attitude, which extended to its approach towards the alliance. This made allies cautious and sparked demands for new leadership within the coalition.
A day after the Haryana election results, Akhilesh Yadav announced candidates for by-elections in Uttar Pradesh. Out of the 10 proposed seats, there was an agreement to allocate two seats to Congress. However, Akhilesh refused to accommodate Congress. - Overconfidence and rigidity post-Lok Sabha elections: A leader from the alliance claimed that after Lok Sabha results, Congress became overconfident. Instead of adopting a flexible approach, it grew more rigid. This behavior was evident in Maharashtra as well.
Previously, Congress sought advice from allies before raising issues in Parliament. However, during the winter session, this practice ended and Congress leaders began acting independently. SP, Trinamool and NCP openly opposed Congress on issues like industrialist Gautam Adani, refusing to back the party’s stance. - Displeasure over Adani issue: Congress is reportedly upset with its allies for their lack of support on Adani issue, which it considers a major concern. Congress feels this lack of unity tarnishes its image and has, in turn, stopped prioritizing allies who are not vocal on such issues.
- Congress’s growing ambitions: Congress’s ambition to expand its base has also contributed to tensions. The party contested alone in Haryana and exerted pressure for more seats in Maharashtra, but failed in both states. RJD in Bihar and Trinamool Congress in West Bengal fear similar pressure tactics in their respective states in 2025 and 2026.
Smaller parties argue that they should lead the alliance in states where they have significant mass support, citing examples from NDA, where TDP leads in Andhra Pradesh and Nitish Kumar’s JD(U) leads in Bihar.
Lack of leadership
Since its formation in July 2023, INDIA alliance has neither appointed a leader nor a convener. Mamata Banerjee expressed interest in becoming the alliance’s leader, but Congress did not respond. Additionally, the alliance lacks an official office, despite initial plans to establish one in Delhi.
