Expansion mode

Responding to opposition unity efforts, BJP initiates plans to revive the National Democratic Alliance

- PRATUL SHARMA

POLITICS IS A GAME of perception, and a clever turn of phrase can make or mar an election. During the 2014 and 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP used the chaiwala and chowkidar jibes against Narendra Modi to establish a connect with voters. For 2024, following the decision of the opposition parties to use the acronym INDIA to define their united front, Modi has come up with his own expansion for the NDA—New India, Development, Aspiration.

Could the 2024 elections be a war between INDIA and New India, the jury is still out, but copywriters on both sides will be working overtime to come up with cleverer versions and slogans. But on the battleground, both sides have revealed their formations. As against INDIA’s 26 parties, the BJP-led alliance showcased 38 constituents, reviving the idea of the National Democratic Alliance, which is in its 25th year of existence. As the last two general elections have shown, the BJP has done well to secure a majority on its own. The major difference this time is the joint effort by the opposition parties to come together on a single platform, prompting the BJP to bring in smaller regional parties to bolster its chances in key states like Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Maharashtra and also in the northeast.