In a not-so-suprising move, the Badruddin Ajmal-led All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) on Friday said that the party will extend its support to the new formed Opposition coalition - Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA).
AIUDF MLA and party general secretary Aminul Islam said that his party is against the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and will support the opposition’s new coalition.
"Now the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) has a new name that is INDIA. Our party will support INDIA because earlier we were in UPA. We will support them," Aminul Islam said, adding that deliberations are going on.
"We can't support NDA. We will support INDIA," the AIUDF leader added.
The 26-party opposition alliance was termed the India National Developmental Inclusive Alliance or I.N.D.I.A during the second joint opposition meeting held in Karnataka’s Bengaluru on July 18.
The two-day joint meeting came to an end on July 18, with the 26 parties agreeing to come up under one name-- Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance, or INDIA.
The anti-NDA bloc was previously called UPA (United Progressive Alliance). It was formed in 2004 and is the coalition of centre-left political parties in India. It was formed with a coalition of around 10 political parties with Sonia Gandhi as its chairperson.
On the concluding day of the joint meeting, while addressing the media after the meeting, Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge said, "Earlier, we were UPA and now all the 26 parties have given a name to the opposition and that is – Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA). Everybody has agreed upon this, and the resolution for the name was passed unanimously.”
The development came as top leaders of 26 Opposition parties from across the country met in Bengaluru on Tuesday to discuss a united strategy to take on the ruling NDA alliance at the Centre, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi called the Lok Sabha elections next year a fight between India and PM Modi.
“This fight is not between 2 political formations but the fight is to defend the idea of India. If you will see history, you will find that nobody has been able to fight the idea of India. It's a fight between the idea of India and Narendra Modi,” Gandhi said.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, while warning the ruling party at the centre said, "NDA, BJP, can you challenge INDIA?"
"We love our motherland. We are the patriotic people of the country. We are for the country, the world, farmers, for all," she said, adding that people -- Hindus, Dalits, minorities, farmers, in Bengal, and Manipur -- are under threat from the BJP, whose only job is "buying and selling governments".
Mallikarjun Kharge, president of the main opposition Congress party, said INDIA stood for the "Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance". The Opposition parties met to chalk out a strategy to put out a united front to take on the BJP ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha Elections.
Meanwhile, the BJP took a dash at the Opposition saying that the name will not change their character and the 2024 Lok Sabha battle is going to be 'Bharat Mata versus INDIA'.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during meeting of the NDA on Tuesday (July 18), said that alliances built on negativity never succeeded and asserted that the NDA will win a third consecutive term. The NDA conclave was held hours after the Opposition meet in Bengaluru.
