In the wake of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, which saw the BJP fall short of an absolute majority, both the NDA and INDIA alliances are set to hold crucial meetings on Wednesday to muster the numbers needed to form a government.
The BJP-led NDA secured 294 seats in the 543-member Parliament, surpassing the majority threshold of 272 by 22 seats. Meanwhile, the INDIA Opposition bloc garnered 234 seats, 38 short of the required majority.
The key to power lies with two NDA allies: Chandrababu Naidu of the TDP and Nitish Kumar of the JDU.
While both contested the election in alliance with the BJP, INDIA leaders have reportedly reached out to these seasoned politicians to draw them into the Opposition bloc. For INDIA to achieve a majority, they need the backing of both the JDU and TDP, along with a few independent MPs.
Following the election results, leaders from both alliances are heading to Delhi for strategy discussions. Notably, Nitish Kumar, who has a history of shifting political allegiances, shared a flight with Tejashwi Yadav, an ally of the INDIA bloc and leader of the RJD, as they travelled to Delhi for separate meetings.
Also Read: Will Nitish, Naidu quit NDA? INDIA bloc reaches out to kingmakers, say sources
KC Tyagi, a close aide of Nitish Kumar and a JDU leader, reportedly confirmed to the media on Tuesday that the party would remain with the NDA, dismissing any rumours of a switch to the INDIA bloc.
Chandrababu Naidu, the other key figure, congratulated Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the NDA’s impressive performance in Andhra Pradesh and expressed his intention for the TDP and BJP to work together to rebuild the state.
It is noteworthy that both Nitish Kumar and Chandrababu Naidu have been vocal critics of Prime Minister Modi and the BJP in the past. Nitish Kumar, in particular, had led efforts to form an Opposition front against the BJP before his last-minute shift in allegiance.
The key meeting in Delhi will see the presence of prominent INDIA leaders, including Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, RJD’s Tejashwi Yadav, Uddhav Thackeray, Sharad Pawar, and DMK president MK Stalin. Leaders from the Left will also attend the meeting.
On the NDA side, apart from Nitish Kumar and Chandrababu Naidu, attendees will include Shiv Sena leader and Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, Hindustani Awam Morcha chief Jitan Ram Manjhi, Jana Sena chief Pawan Kalyan, LJP leader Chirag Paswan, and JDS’s HD Kumaraswamy.
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