New Delhi, Dec 8 (NationPress) Over two years ago, a coalition of several political parties opposing the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) -- primarily directed against Prime Minister Narendra Modi -- came together, raising high hopes within the Opposition.

Today, those hopes have transformed into worries regarding the coalition's political viability, with Jammu and Kashmir's Chief Minister and National Conference leader Omar Abdullah stating that the bloc is currently "on life support," perhaps bordering on the "ICU."

His concern stems from the internal strife and the leadership's failure to keep pace with the BJP, which is perpetually in campaign mode, continuously strategizing and innovating politically.

Omar Abdullah expressed that the only viable path for the Opposition to challenge Modi was to "unite around the Congress party." However, he seems to have overlooked the fact that many members of this Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA), a name derived from the acronym "INDIA," are regional leaders who either emerged from dissenting against the Congress or have thrived by opposing the venerable party.

The Janata Party experiment of the 1970s had similarly united socialists, communists, and right-wing parties to oust the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.

So, why not attempt a similar approach again, the leaders may have thought.

Yet, when Nitish Kumar, leader of the Janata Dal (United), hosted the inaugural meeting of the INDIA bloc in Patna, he likely did not foresee a future where he would be taking an oath as the Chief Minister of Bihar, leading a National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government he had just decided to contest against.

His ambitious plans began to unravel in the meetings that followed the one in Patna.

Having nurtured aspirations to spearhead the opposition against Prime Minister Modi, he found himself progressively sidelined.

Next to feel a similar sense of marginalization was the Maratha leader and current head of a faction of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), Sharad Pawar.

As the 2024 Lok Sabha elections approached, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge was appointed as the chair of the INDIA bloc.

Mamata Banerjee, Chief Minister of West Bengal and the person credited with coining the acronym INDIA, had previously suggested Kharge's leadership of the bloc.

Insiders reported that Banerjee had the backing of Aam Aadmi Party leader Arvind Kejriwal and Samajwadi Party head Akhilesh Yadav.

This trio was sometimes perceived as a "pressure group" or "sub-alliance" within the broader coalition.

The three leaders believed that it would be challenging for the BJP to launch a fierce attack on a member of the Dalit community.

However, Punjab and West Bengal proved to be formidable battlegrounds.

Initially, Banerjee conceded two seats in Bengal but sought to gain seats in Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, and Tripura in exchange.

Following a dismal performance in the 2024 Lok Sabha election, where Kejriwal's alliance lost all seven seats in Delhi, he declared a disconnect with Congress, asserting that the INDIA bloc was solely established for the 2024 elections.

This saga continues to evolve.

The shifting political landscape, coupled with the regional ambitions of various leaders, has impacted the INDIA bloc, which, echoing Omar Abdullah's remarks, appears to be deteriorating without adequate "life support" and may ultimately face a critical situation.

Nevertheless, in Uttar Pradesh, Akhilesh Yadav may still seek to collaborate with Congress as the state gears up for the 2027 Assembly elections, hoping to regain political relevance.

However, this may not suffice to rejuvenate the ailing INDIA bloc.