Cracks wide open in national opposition unity

Amid the ongoing assembly polls in the five states, the cracks within the Indian National Developmental, Inclusive Alliance (I.N.D.I.A) are getting wide open with every passing day. The scenario is bound to give a setback to the efforts by some of the allies to contest the 2024 Lok Sabha polls against BJP with a united face.

The I.N.D.I.A allies from J&K have expressed concern over the disunity tendencies and described it as very unfortunate. Meanwhile, rival parties Democratic Progressive Azad Party ( DPAP) led by Ghulam Nabi Azad and Apni Party headed by Syed Mohammad Altaf Bukhari have intensified their efforts to corner National Conference ( NC) and PDP on political front. This was evident from the address of Azad during party workers' meetings in Chenab Valley and a public rally by Bukhari in Srinagar recently.

Azad expressed displeasure over NC and Congress linking him and his party with BJP. He accused the two parties of doing so to "hide their own misdeeds and association with BJP in the past." Azad criticising NC or PDP right now is understandable. But two important allies of I.N.D.I.A- Congress and Samajwadi Party (SP) targetting each other is ringing alarm bells within the alliance.

Following increasing friction between the two parties, former UP chief minister and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav has given a call for forming a new alliance minus Congress. He said such an alliance will defeat the both Congress and the BJP in Lok Sabha polls. The tension between Congress and SP started due to assembly polls in Madhya Pradesh, where they are contesting against each other. Congress is accusing SP of acting as a B team of BJP and causing division among the non - BJP votes in the state polls. On the other hand SP has accused Congress of behaving like B team of BJP in UP by cutting the votes of non- BJP votes.

The two parties have started stating that they would contest on all the Lok Sabha seats in the highly important UP state on their own next year.
Yadav during the election campaign levelled serious allegations against the Congress. He said that Congress does not want to be in alliance with SP as the party leaders are under the impression that people are with them.

Some days back Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar had stated that Congress was giving more importance to the election in five states and was not showing interest for working a seat sharing arrangement among the I.N.D.I.A bloc for the Lok Sabha polls. Reacting to it, the Congress said the assembly polls are equally important and their results can help the allies in Lok Sabha polls as well.
It is not only about Congress and SP only, the other allies in I.N.D.I.A are reluctant to touch the risky seat sharing arrangement issue. That is why despite so much time since the formation of the alliance , no headway could be made in this direction. NC vice president Omar Abdullah also recently said that nothing is being done for seat sharing arrangement. He described the disunity in the alliance as not a positive sign.

The former chief minister did not say anything categorically about the possibility of any alliance among non- BJP parties in J&K for Lok Sabha polls. But it seems that NC will go solo. The party is making preparations in this direction particularly in Kashmir.

There are also no indication whether NC will support Ghulam Nabi Azad if he contests from Jammu-Udhampur Lok Sabha seat. In past NC avoided causing any kind of hurdle in the victory of Azad given his personal and political understanding with the Abdullah family. But now that understanding seems to have gone on the political front. This was evident in view of the tough stance taken by Azad against NC and PDP during his recent visit to Chenab Valley. The two parties directly or indirectly have been claiming that DPAP has some kind of understanding with the BJP. Usually maintaining a cool and calm composer, Azad took NC and PDP head on this time. "

My political opponents are linking me and my party with BJP to hide their own misdeeds. It was Mufti sahab (Mufti Mohammad Sayeed) and PDP, which brought BJP to Jammu and Kashmir." He said he was never a minister in BJP government, while referring to Omar Abdullah being the minister of state external affairs in past. " National Conference is uncomfortable with my return to J&K politics as they think it can damage their political interests. NC was believing that I will continue to remain in Delhi and not return here and that their third generation will continue to rule here. Infact the preparation was going on for the fourth generation as well. I have spoiled their plan and that is why they have launched a disinformation campaign against me."
Azad claimed that NC , PDP and Congress are against DPAP in Chenab Valley to cause division of votes and ensure victory of BJP." Tell me where was NC having an MLA in Chenab Valley .Was it having an MLA in Doda, Bhaderwah, Ramban and Inderwal," he asked.

Azad stated that for 50 years he was the Congress in J&K. " Before me Mufti sahab was in Congress but he fled. I led all victories for Congress in J&K. Infact I ensured all victories for Congress in other states also," he said.

Reacting to Azad's claim, the J&K Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC) chief Vikar Rasool Wani said Azad was because of Congress and Congress was not because of him. " If Azad sahab is telling the truth then how Congress won assembly polls in Himachal Pradesh and Karnataka without him, " he said.

Wani added that Congress is strong not only in Chenab valley but rest of J&K as well.
Apni Party President Syed Mohammad Altaf Bukhari is also stating that his party is getting stronger in J&K day by day. He recently criticised NC and PDP and described the parties as an expired lot. " People of Jammu and Kashmir have no interest in NC and PDP now and consider those as an expired lot.

The shelf life of the two parties has expired and people will no more fall prey to their deceptive and exploitative politics," he said. Bukhari stated that New Delhi too must stop giving the two parties any importance or political assignments for playing the role of even those who are not there in the political picture of Jammu and Kashmir now.