Opinion: In The Name Of I.N.D.I.A

Brinda Karat, within 24 hours of the much talked about Bengaluru meeting of 26 opposition parties, strongly criticised Mamata Banerjee as anti-democratic. Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar openly expressed his reluctance to be the Convenor of the yet-to-be-born coalition. Also, he appears discomfited by the way things are being handled by the Congress. 

The Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance or INDIA, a nice acronym selected by the opposition's dream coalition, can't hide the deep-seated acrimony within, and the contradictions in this grouping. What clearly emerges is that the constituents' daydreams of a repeat of 2004 have no ground support. 

At least five key factors clearly underscore the fact that the distance between 2004 and 2024 is not just 20 years. It is so much more.