Pre-poll alliances are an inherent character of elections in India, especially the Lok Sabha polls. In the 2024 Lok Sabha Elections, two prominent alliances will square off against each other: the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and the opposition bloc INDIA, or Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance, which includes Congress. The notable difference this time is the absence of the Congress-led UPA, which used to be the traditional counterpart to the NDA. In 2024, the grand old party is contesting as part of the broader opposition bloc, which constitutes several other regional parties such as SP, TMC and AAP.
Here's a look at the key competitors in the Lok Sabha Elections:
NDA
The NDA faction is led by BJP and includes parties such as JD(U), Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena, Ajit Pawar-led NCP and JD(S) among others. Altogether, there are 39 parties in the NDA, including a host of regional outfits. The BJP, which is the anchor of the alliance, won 303 seats in the Lok Sabha elections on its own. It's current strength is 290. Nitish Kumar-led JD(U) is the second biggest member of the alliance, which has 16 seats in the lower house.
INDIA Bloc
The INDIA alliance comprises a bevy of national and regional parties who have joined hands to put up a united fight against the BJP. Congress is the primus inter pares of the alliance and has the maximum strength in the Lok Sabha. Since the alliance includes several regional heavyweights besides Congress, the parties have a daunting task in front of them as they negotiate seat-sharing pacts in different states. Already, the TMC has decided to contest all 42 seats in West Bengal on its own after failing to reach an agreement with Congress.
Non-alligned parties
There are several significant political parties that are not affiliated with either the NDA or INDIA. These include Mayawati-led BSP, Jagan Reddy's YSR Congress, AIADMK, Naveen Patnaik-led BJD, K Chandrasekhar Rao-led BRS, TDP + Jan Sena and SAD, among others. Some of these parties were earlier part of the NDA but walked out of the alliance due to various difference in the last five years. However, with still some time left for the Lok Sabha polls, there is a possibility that some of these parties may return to the NDA fold.
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