In June 2023, a senior leader of the opposition coalition, INDIA, prophetically remarked, “A grand alliance against a Modi-led BJP is desirable, but I am not sure if it is feasible.” Barely 18 months later, this statement has come to define the fate of a grouping that was cobbled together with the singular aim of stalling the BJP’s electoral juggernaut. With the alliance now on the verge of disintegration, the political landscape has returned to familiar territory—a dominant BJP facing a fragmented opposition.
An Alliance of Necessity, Not Unity
The INDIA alliance was born out of a shared apprehension of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s growing dominance. Leaders from across the political spectrum gathered in Patna in the summer of 2023 to forge what seemed like an improbable coalition. The grouping included parties with starkly divergent ideologies and deep-rooted rivalries, held together by a common goal: preventing a “BJP-dominated India.” However, the glue of anti-Modism proved insufficient to hold these disparate forces together.
The alliance began unraveling almost immediately after the 2024 general elections, in which the BJP returned to power, albeit with reduced numbers. State-level compulsions soon took precedence over national priorities. In West Bengal, the inherent rivalry between Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress and the Left-Congress alliance rendered cooperation impossible. In Bihar, the uneasy camaraderie between Nitish Kumar’s JD(U) and Lalu Yadav’s RJD frayed under the weight of mutual distrust. Similar fault lines emerged in Maharashtra, Delhi, and Jammu & Kashmir, exposing the fragile foundations of the coalition.
Delhi: A Microcosm of INDIA’s Flaws
Delhi serves as a stark example of the alliance’s inherent contradictions. In the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) entered an alliance in the national capital while simultaneously competing against each other in Punjab. This arrangement, designed to leverage political arithmetic, lacked the chemistry needed for sustainable collaboration. Historically, AAP’s rise in Delhi came at the expense of the Congress, with Arvind Kejriwal’s anti-corruption movement dismantling the party’s dominance in the city. This fraught history made genuine partnership nearly impossible.
The situation deteriorated further in late 2024 when Congress’s state unit rejected alliance overtures in Haryana, despite Rahul Gandhi’s initial endorsement. Following Congress’s defeats in Haryana and Maharashtra, the party’s weakened position emboldened AAP to demand its expulsion from the INDIA alliance. This escalation underscored the absence of a unifying force strong enough to mediate disputes and align diverse interests within the coalition.
Lessons from the Collapse
The rapid disintegration of the INDIA alliance highlights deeper systemic challenges within India’s opposition politics. First, the alliance’s formation was reactionary rather than visionary. Like the Janata Party experiment of the 1970s—formed solely to oust Indira Gandhi—the INDIA alliance emerged as an anti-Modi front without a cohesive ideological framework or common minimum program. While the Janata Party lasted two years under Jayaprakash Narayan’s guidance, INDIA lacked both a towering leader and a shared agenda to sustain its momentum.
Second, the alliance’s reliance on electoral arithmetic rather than organic political synergy proved to be a critical flaw. Partnerships born out of necessity, rather than shared principles, are unlikely to endure beyond immediate objectives. The INDIA alliance’s inability to resolve internal contradictions or articulate a unified vision for India’s future made its collapse inevitable.
Implications for India’s Democracy
The dissolution of the INDIA alliance marks a return to an era of unchallenged BJP dominance. For democratic-spirited citizens, this is a troubling prospect. A divided opposition risks leaving the ruling party unchecked, especially given the Modi government’s tendency to leverage institutional power to marginalize dissent. The 2024 elections had offered a glimpse of a more balanced political contest, but the alliance’s implosion signals a potential regression to a more authoritarian political climate.
Opposition unity is not just a political strategy but a democratic necessity in a pluralistic society. The failure of the INDIA alliance underscores the need for opposition parties to move beyond short-term electoral calculations and invest in building ideological coherence, strong leadership, and grassroots connections. Without these elements, the dream of a robust, multi-party democracy will remain elusive.
The INDIA alliance’s collapse serves as both a cautionary tale and an opportunity for introspection. While the BJP’s electoral machinery continues to dominate, the absence of a credible opposition undermines the very fabric of India’s democratic system. Moving forward, opposition parties must learn from this debacle, focusing on long-term institution-building and offering a compelling alternative vision for the nation. Anything less would risk further consolidating power in the hands of a single party, jeopardizing the diversity and dynamism that define India’s democracy.