Nitish Kumar and Tejashwi Yadav fly to Delhi as NDA and INDIA strategize

Following the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, both the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and the opposition INDIA bloc are holding critical meetings on June 5 to gather the necessary support to form a government. The BJP-led NDA secured 294 seats in the 543-member Lok Sabha, just 22 seats above the majority mark of 272. Meanwhile, the INDIA Opposition bloc finished with 234 seats, falling short of the majority by 38 seats. Key NDA allies, Chandrababu Naidu of the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and Nitish Kumar of the Janata Dal (United) (JDU), wield significant influence over the formation of the next government. Although they contested the general election in alliance with the BJP, reports suggest that leaders from the INDIA bloc are attempting to sway these experienced politicians to their side.

To secure a majority, the INDIA bloc needs the support of both the JDU and TDP, along with several unaligned MPs. In the aftermath of the election results, leaders from both alliances are converging in Delhi for strategic discussions. Notably, Nitish Kumar, a skilled political strategist, is traveling on the same flight as his former ally and current INDIA bloc member, RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav. They are set to attend separate meetings in the capital. Despite rumors of a potential switch to the INDIA bloc, Nitish Kumar’s close aide and JDU leader KC Tyagi affirmed that the party will remain in the NDA. Concurrently, Chandrababu Naidu congratulated Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the NDA’s performance in Andhra Pradesh and expressed his commitment to working with the BJP to rebuild the state.

Leaders of the INDIA bloc heading to Delhi include Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, RJD’s Tejashwi Yadav, Uddhav Thackeray, Sharad Pawar, DMK president MK Stalin, and several Left leaders. On the NDA side, leaders traveling to Delhi include Nitish Kumar, Chandrababu Naidu, Maharashtra Chief Minister and Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde, Hindustani Awam Morcha chief Jitan Ram Manjhi, Jana Sena chief Pawan Kalyan, LJP leader Chirag Paswan, and JDS’s HD Kumaraswamy. The outcome of these meetings will be crucial in determining the composition of the next government in India.