Nitish Kumar proposes ‘one against one’ opposition strategy for 2024 polls

Patna: Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar has proposed a “one against one” strategy for a unified opposition to take on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, leaders from Janata Dal (United) and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) aware of the details said.

The “one against one” strategy basically means fielding one opposition candidate against a BJP candidate in about 500 Lok Sabha constituencies, and Kumar believes all parties, including the Congress, will have to make some sacrifices at the state level, the leaders said, requesting anonymity.

In Kumar’s recent meetings with senior Congress leaders and heads of some regional parties, he has also put forth a structure of this proposed united opposition. “The new coalition would have a convener and a chairperson apart from other office bearers. In all likelihood, the convener would be projected as the prime ministerial candidate of the joint coalition,” one of the leaders said, requesting anonymity. “The chairperson would be more a symbolic head of the coalition having certain decision-making powers.”

Kumar has proposed this structure to Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee and Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav among others, the leader said. “The new front would come up by June-end after a round of meeting with top regional parties in mid-May,” he added.

Leaders of Bihar’s grand alliance did not rule out Nitish Kumar as possible convener of the opposition alliance.

Kumar is likely to call a meeting of various opposition and regional parties in Patna after the conclusion of the May 10 assembly elections in Karnataka. The meeting, modalities of which are yet to be finalised, will likely be called in late May. The issue will also be taken up in June during an all-opposition party meeting called by Tamil Nadu chief MK Stalin to mark the birth centenary celebration of his late father and former chief minister MK Karunanidhi, the leaders said.

KC Tyagi, former JD(U) national general secretary, said there is a consensus among opposition parties to work on the “one against one” strategy proposed by the Bihar CM. “Nitish ji has the capability to forge a larger opposition front with Congress, too, showing keenness to forge a new front, which is surely a good sign to take on BJP-led NDA in 2024 parliamentary polls,” Tyagi added.

RJD national general secretary Bhola Yadav, too, expressed hope that a “new edition of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA)” will soon take shape. “Things are moving in right direction. CM Kumar has already met several leaders from opposition and would also be meeting few other leaders in coming weeks,” he added.

However, there are apprehensions about the “one against one” strategy translating on ground in states such as West Bengal, Kerala and Telangana, where the Congress is in direct fight with non-BJP ruling parties. A “sweet deal” is being proposed to such regional parties that see the Congress and Left parties as rivals in their respective states, a grand alliance functionary said, declining to be named.

For example, in West Bengal, Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress (TMC) would get a major share in seat allotment, with Left parties and Congress getting some seats based on party’s strength, the functionary said. “The TMC has not responded to the proposal so far,” he added. A TMC leader in Kolkata said the party will respond at an appropriate time.

A similar formula was being proposed in other states as well, another grand alliance leader said. “The seat allotment would be done mainly on the strength of each party in respective states and winnability. There is no such confusion on that and talks are being held among various parties to follow this formula on seat-sharing,” the leader added.

Political observer and former director of AN Sinha Institute of Social Sciences, DM Diwakar, said if worked out the strategy could be potentially a winning formula. “In many states, regional parties are rivals of Congress or Left. But it is different for assembly and Lok Sabha polls. Like in West Bengal, TMC might go with the front and accept Left and Congress as allies in Lok Sabha polls, but it would not welcome the idea in state elections. In Bihar, all seven opposition parties are already on a joint platform. So, the ‘one against one’ idea is quite workable,” he said.

However, the BJP dismissed the initiative, saying “unity of opposition is like balancing the frogs on weighing scale”.

“There are many faceless support groups working for the opposition parties sitting across the border,” alleged BJP state spokesperson Nikhil Anand. “The conspiracy is not against the BJP or the PM but the country, India. All the attempts of opposition unity will prove futile and end up as a fiasco. They shall all be defeated in the final countdown of 2024.”

The ground work for a larger opposition front gained momentum after the Bihar CM along with his deputy Tejashwi Prasad Yadav met Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, party leader Rahul Gandhi in Delhi on April 12, and Aam Aadmi Party convener and Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal a day later. Kumar has also met Banerjee and Akhilesh and is expected to meet Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik soon.

(With inputs from Kolkata bureau)