Defeat sparks challenges for Congress within I.N.D.I.A alliance

Following an unexpected and humiliating defeat in the Hindi heartland states of Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, and Madhya Pradesh, the Congress is facing a stiff challenge from within the INDIA alliance.

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There is no indication whether, in less than six months to go, INDIA alliance would announce its prime ministerial face or at least a coalition convenor, secretariat, election management mechanism and a common minimum programme. For INDIAS alliance, the

Narendra Modi question continues to puzzle them. The unconventional choice of three chief ministers of Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan has had a demoralising effect on many non-BJP-NDA parties. The appointment of some rookie yet hard working party workers as chief ministers has a potential to change how power dynamics function in Indian politics. If the opposition parties do not alter their way of thinking, they would be seen as projecting and perpetuating a sense of entitlement. On the other hand, any attempt to change the grammar of power politics would be seen as a step following a ‘Modi model.’  

Since December 3, 2023, INDIA alliance parties have been debating and discussing whether Modi as a prime minister should be questioned and criticized without offering the electorate an alternative or option. It is a catch-22 situation for INDIA alliance partners as they cannot resist making a dig at Modi. At the same time, there is near consensus in the INDIA alliance not to project a face from among themselves as a prime ministerial face