On 19th July 2023, Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader Brinda Karat said that TMC’s dictatorship was seen in Bengal during the Panchayat elections. She called the situation in West Bengal an attack on democracy a day after the opposition held a grand meeting in Bengaluru and declared the formation of a national coalition against the BJP-led NDA.
Brinda Karat said, “The BJP could never have imagined that all of us will come together against the BJP and the agenda of RSS and stand against them. On the one hand, they ask ‘Who are they?’ and on the other hand, they make sharp and pointed comments against us. It is because they know that the biggest challenge against the BJP rule is created now.”
Brinda Karat further said, “RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat said that women are raped in India and not in Bharat. It clarifies what is the mentality of the BJP and the RSS. For us, India and Bharat are one and the same. Save India. Save Bharat. This is our slogan. People trying to create a divide between India and Bharat are inspired by the ideology of Manu.”
Brinda Karat added, “We discussed saving the constitution. If the constitution is saved, the country will also be saved. We are standing against the attacks on the constitution unleashed by the BJP, RSS, and their allied organisations in their Pariwar. Constitution is the face of this alliance. The democratic system is the face. Those who are standing in solidarity with secular principles are our face.”
Brinda Karat said, “As far as the alliance is concerned, every state has its own different political balances and equations. We are against the dictatorship displayed by the TMC during the Panchayat elections of Bengal that claimed 60 lives. It is a reality of West Bengal. Similarly, every state has a political balance and political powers (strengths). In West Bengal, a situation has arisen where we need to save the constitution, democracy, and secularism. It will be decided on the basis of Bengal only. We will discuss this with our party and comrades in Bengal and we will decide about this. But I can definitely say that one who stands posing as a saviour of democracy while he continues to attack democracy has no credibility left.” The last part effectively is a comment on Mamata Banerjee.
Brinda Karat said, “The question is not about who will become the Prime Minister. The question is will the Constitution be saved? When there will be no constitution, then how can there be a Prime Minister? Modi is trying to impose the Presidential system here in India. The question is about the Constitution. Save Constitution. Save Bharat. All of us have come together with this slogan only.”
On 18th July 2023, the 26 Opposition parties gathered in Bengaluru to discuss strategy for the 2024 elections have named their alliance ‘I.N.D.I.A.’, or Indian National Democratic Inclusive Alliance. However, the alliance parties were seen rushing to claim credit for the acronym and the coalition is yet to find a joint agenda and face as the Prime Ministerial candidate to contest Bharatiya Janata Party and Narendra Modi in 2024.
It is notable that there is no declared common minimum agenda of the coalition of the opposition. However, all the leaders present in the party agreed on coming together for opposing BJP and Narendra Modi. All the leaders of various parties present in the meeting including Jairam Ramesh and KC Venugopal of Congress, Raghav Chaddha of AAP, and MK Stalin of DMK expressed their staunch opposition to BJP and Modi while addressing the meeting. The other details of the agenda and the leader or chairperson of the coalition and the prime ministerial candidate of this alliance are not yet decided. However, many parties involved in the coalition see their respective leaders as potential contenders for the top office.