BENGALURU: The 26 opposition parties that met in Bengaluru over the two days early in the week, their second after Patna, have said that the alliance they have formed will have the acronym "INDIA" and it will challenge the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

Making the announcement, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said that their alliance that will jointly take on the ruling NDA in the parliamentary elections next year is called Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) and they have formed a 11-member committee for coordination between all the partners.

Addressing a joint press conference of 26 opposition parties after their formal meeting, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said that all the members agreed that the BJP was assaulting the character of the republic and they pledged to 'safeguard the idea of India as enshrined in the Constitution.'

According to the INDIA alliance, it would focus on fighting rising prices and unemployment in the country and that the fight against BJP is a fight to 'defend the idea of India, defend the voice of the Indian people'.

Political experts are however not very sure of how these many parties will co-ordinate since many of them are regional rivals and have been splintered at the national level. The party leaders themselves, however, downplayed this issue saying that when there is a common goal, they will sink their differences and things will fall into place. 

Replying to a similar question Kharge said the next meeting of the alliance would form a coordination panel, name a convenor and take up the complex issue of farming out seats for parties in the alliance to contest one-on-one against the BJP.

Meanwhile, NDA showcased 39 of its partners.  Slamming the opposition alliance INDIA, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that it was built on negativity have never succeeded and asserted that the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) will return to power for a third consecutive term.

Modi addressed a meeting of the 39 NDA constituents, and said it stands for 'New India Development Aspiration.' He also acknowledged the contributions made by veteran NDA leaders, like Balasaheb Thackeray, Sharad Yadav, Parkash Singh Badal, Ajit Singh, George Fernandes and Ram Vilas Paswan, saying they gave strength to the NDA.

Referring to Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Shiromani Akali Dal faction leader Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa at the meeting, Modi said "The true followers of Badal and Thackeray are also here amongst us." Ajit Pawar and Praful Patel of the Nationalist Congress Party who recently joined NDA were also present.