From Our Bureau
NEW DELHI: Bharatiya Janata Party President Jagat Prakash Nadda on Monday claimed 38 political parties have confirmed to participate in a meeting of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) here Tuesday evening in a game of numbers, with the opposition parties mustering the strength of 26 parties in both sides stepping up their campaign for the Lok Sabha elections in 2024.
He told a Press conference here that he has sent the invitations for the NDA meeting to a host of existing and new BJP allies as the ruling party has working overtime in the recent months to garner fresh alliances and win back those who had quit the ruling combine.
Nadda climed the NDA has complete 30 years and Prime Minister Narendra Modi is completing 10 years in power. He said Tuesdsay’s meeting will be to discuss promotion of the developmental agenda, and PM’s schemes and policies for the overall development of the country.
In reply to a question to name the parties who have consented to join the NDA meeting, he wriggled out, saying you will know who all turn up when the meeting takes place.
Tuesday is clearly a show of strength by the ruling alliance and a get-together of the opposition parties. Nadda, however, said there will be representatives from all regions and showcase the expanded strength of the NDA amid criticism that the BJP has bern unable to take along its allies.
After losing a number of its traditional allies such as the Janata Dal (United), Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena and Akali Dal, the BJP has succeeded in making alliances with Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena, now recognised as the real party, the Ajit Pawar-led faction of NCP, O P Rajbhar-led SBSP in Uttar Pradesh and Jitan Ram Manjhi-led Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular) and Upendra Kushwala-led RLSP.
The invitations sent by Nadda to various parties to attend the meeeting to be addressed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other senior BJP leaders.
Parties such as AIADMK of Tamil Nadu and Pawan Kalyan’s Jan Sena of Andhra Pradesh are among the other parties that will be present in the meeting, besides half a dozen from northeast states.
It will be the first such NDA meeting of this scale during the second term of the Modi government, underscoring the imperative within the ruling party to project its credentials as a lead coalition partner in the run-up to the Lok Sabha polls, expected to be held in April-May.
Regional parties, including those with a small but solid share of votes in a particular region or caste, can be crucial in swinging the balance in the polls in several seats in states like Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.
With the BJP making all-out efforts to retain its majority in Lok Sabha for a third straight term, its leadership has made pragmatic adjustments to accommodate new allies while also working to weaken the opposition bloc in crucial states like Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh.
In reply to a question, Nadda said his party is still not clear on whom it will be fighting in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections since there is no clarity on its leader and its agenda and no guarantee that many of them will be fielding candidates against each others. Retaliating to his remarks, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge ridiculed the BJP for combining the “splintered parties” to show off its strength and numbers. Almost half of them have no seat in Parliament nor will they be able to win any, Kharge said.
