Homework | Congress Plays It Safe and Late, NDA’s Big List, and New Allies in the Race for “Abki Baar 400 Paar”

There were only 39 names on the much-anticipated Congress Party first list, which was unveiled last week. This was effectively a “safe list,” since no candidates from significant states like West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, or Bihar had yet to declare.

For a party riding the India bloc and looking to topple the Narendra Modi administration, the beginning seems a little lackluster.

In contrast, the BJP seems to be moving quickly toward its goal of 400 seats for the NDA, whether via the declaration of candidates or the formation of new coalitions like that with the TDP in Andhra Pradesh and the BJD in Odisha.

The Trinamool Congress (TMC), a regional party, outperformed the Congress in the run-up to the polls by announcing all 42 of its candidates in West Bengal at once and suppressing any discussion of a compromise with the Grand Old Party.

Following the Aam Aadmi Party, another ally of India, challenging the Congress in the Punjab assembly, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann even dared the party to cancel its plans in Delhi, Haryana, and Gujarat.

Rahul Gandhi is going to battle the Left from Wayanad in Kerala, which is going to cause further division in the India camp. Annie Raja, the spouse of prominent Left activist D. Raja, is his rival.

It would be foolish to expect the cadre of several INDIA parties to collaborate on the ground while the leaders are unable to reach an agreement on an alliance.

The sole consolation seemed to be Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge’s announcement that the DMK and Congress had finished their seat-sharing negotiations in Tamil Nadu and that Congress would now be receiving ten seats to contest. Following the CEC on Monday, the second list of the Congress is anticipated on Tuesday.

BJP IS IN FIRST CLASS
The BJP camp has been well prepared for the polls. For the last week, Prime Minister Modi has been traveling the nation on his “Bharat Darshan,” unveiling projects valued at billions of dollars and capitalizing on RJD chief Lalu Prasad’s self-assured jab at the PM for not having a family.

His party announced 195 candidates at once, and after the CEC meeting on Monday, a second list with a sizable number of names is anticipated on Tuesday. It is possible that around 70% of the BJP’s candidates will be announced prior to the implementation of the Model Code of Conduct.

With the TDP coalition in Andhra Pradesh finalized last week and preparations underway for an alliance with the BJD in Odisha, senior BJP officials are also opening up new avenues.

The negotiations to finalize the seat-sharing agreement with the JDU and Chirag Paswan in Bihar, as well as with Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawan in Maharashtra, have been spearheaded by Home Minister Amit Shah.

This week is anticipated to see the announcement of the Maharashtra and Bihar arrangements. There are plans to do business with Punjab’s Akali Dal as well.

The goal seems straightforward and unaffected by cost among the BJP camp. Similar to Arjun’s eye, the goal is to separate the Congress from the BJP in this political struggle by securing 370 seats for the BJP and more than 400 for the NDA, as per Narendra Modi’s set objective.

Beyond the DMK, Samajwadi Party, and RJD—— and in places where the Congress is a small partner—the India alliance does not seem to exist.