Is the Coalition Ready?

While it is premature to predict the INDIA alliance's success in shaping the political narrative of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, experts believe the Opposition has finally been able to set the tone, a first since 2014

- Rakhi Bose

THE 2024 General Elections seem to be shaping up as a battle between 'One' India in one corner and 'many' INDIAs of all sizes and sensibilities in the other.

Months after the grand coming together of the Opposition's INDIA alliance, consisting of 26 political parties, the collective has upped the pressure on the ruling BJP, attacking it on multiple issues, be it the Israel-Palestine war, NCERT's recommendation to change India's nomenclature to 'Bharat' in school textbooks or unleashing the Enforcement Directorate against Opposition leaders.

On October 28, Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra criticised India's abstention from a UN resolution on Gaza. She also invoked Mahatma Gandhi, urging the central government to take a stand on the humanitarian crisis in Palestine.

Recently, Rahul Gandhi's social media blitz featured an interview with Satya Pal Malik, a BJP-appointed Governor of the former state of Jammu and Kashmir, who oversaw the controversial bifurcation of the state. The viral interview with Malik, who has since been critical of top BJP leadership, broached contentious issues like the Pulwama attack and the government's alleged largesse to the Adani Group. Gandhi's social media feed is also peppered with videos showing the former party vice-president chiselling tables for students, addressing concerns of carpenters, taking selfies with porters and welcoming puppies into his home. He also biked to Ladakh to engage with locals in remote locales.

Gandhi's YouTube channel had cooking lessons too, from Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Lalu Prasad Yadav. The former Bihar CM, who once famously wanted to 'throw the Congress into the Bay of Bengal', was seen teaching Gandhi how to cook Champaran mutton for a national audience.

Other parties in the INDIA bloc have also recognised the power of social media optics.

Channelling Social Media