As INDIA bloc gets down to nitty-gritty, misgivings surface

IN THE BALANCING of its many contradictory interests, INDIA alliance seems to have hit teething troubles.

- MANOJ CG

And it is not just about the obvious contradictions in states like West Bengal, Punjab, Delhi and Kerala and the problems expected in seat-sharing among parties at a later stage.

There is disquiet among a section of the parties over the way some of the decisions have been taken late First, JD(U) chief and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who took the initial lead in the INDIA front but has since lost the prime slot, publicly differed over the decision to announce a boycott of 14 television anchors.

Now, the CPI(M), one of the Congress's closest partners at the central level, has decided not to nominate a member to the 14-member coordination and election strategy committee of the bloc.

Within the Congress too, not all is rosy, as witnessed at the meeting of the Congress Working Committee (CWC) over the weekend in Hyderabad. Leaders from Delhi and Punjab persisted with their concerns over possible seat-sharing arrangement with the Aam Aadmi Party.

Adding to all that is the unease among many of the constituents especially from the Hindi heartland over the Sanatan Dharma controversy, especially with the DMK ignoring appeals and not backing down. With Prime Minister Narendra Modi rallying his troops, the BJP has rolled up its sleeves and mounted a united offensive on the matter.