'India' is not just the name of this country but also of the Opposition alliance here. Ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the alliance of 26 Opposition parties has been named I.N.D.I.A. The parties unanimously adopted a proposal to name their coalition I.N.D.I.A during a key meeting in Bengaluru on Tuesday. "(It's going to be) a battle between NDA and INDIA" in 2024," West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said on Tuesday.

The name soon triggered confusion, with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) taking a swipe at opposition leaders for not being able to decide whether the ‘D’ stands for Developmental or Democratic. Moreover, reports claimed on Wednesday that Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar did not want the opposition alliance to be named 'I.N.D.I.A' because it has the letters, 'NDA' in it.

But, what does I.N.D.I.A stands for? Who is the leader of the opposition alliance? When was it formed? Who are the members? Here's your guide to everything we know about I.N.D.I.A:

First Published:Jul 19, 2023 3:15 PM IST

How Opposition named its alliance 'INDIA' | A detailed look at key parties, LS poll objective and more

What does the Opposition alliance name I.N.D.I.A implies?

It is an acronym for: I: Indian N: National D: Developmental I: Inclusive A: Alliance As the name was announced, confusion erupted over what the 'D' stands for in 'INDIA'.

Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Sharad Pawar had reportedly tweeted: "United We stand with I - Indian N - National D - Democratic I - Inclusive A – Alliance..." However, he edited it later to change "D-Developmental".

What is the tagline for the opposition alliance INDIA?

The opposition parties finalised "Jeetega Bharat" as the combine's tagline, setting the tone for their 2024 Lok Sabha campaign.

The Hindi tagline means "India will win" and is likely to be replicated in several regional languages, sources said.

How will the Opposition alliance campaign for LS polls?

"All focus, all publicity, all campaigning, all programmes will be held under the banner of INDIA," Mamata Banerjee said in the joint press conference after the Bengaluru opposition meeting.

Who coined the term INDIA?

Sources told News 18 that West Bengal Chief Minister Mamta Banerjee was the first to suggest the acronym.

At the same time, the Times of India reported that the name was proposed by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi.

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How was the name coined

Sources told PTI that when a leader mentioned "We For India", Rahul Gandhi remarked, "We should go for 'INDIA'".

Gandhi was the last speaker at the meeting.

Which political parties are part of the Opposition alliance "INDIA"

These 26 political parties are part of the Opposition alliance:- Congress, NCP (Sharad Pawar faction), National Conference, People's Democratic Party (PDP), Samajwadi Party (SP), Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), Trinamool Congress (TMC), Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Janata Dal (United), Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), Shiv Sena (UBT), Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD), Apna Dal (Kamerawadi), Communist Party of India (CPI), Communist Party of India (Marxist), Revolutionalry Soicialist Party (RSP), All India Forward Bloc, Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK), Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK), Kongunadu Makkal Desia Katchi (KMDK), Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) Liberation, Manithaneya Makkal Katchi (MMK), Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), Kerala Congress (M), Kerala Congress (Joseph).

Why Opposition alliance has been named INDIA?

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said the fight was not between the opposition parties and the BJP, but it was a "fight for the idea of India that was being attacked".

"That is why this name was chosen.

Fight is between NDA and INDIA, between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and INDIA, between their (the BJP's) ideology and INDIA.

You know what happens when someone stands against India, who wins," the former Congress chief said.

"We (opposition parties) are defending the Indian Constitution, voice of the people and the idea of our great county.

You know what happens to those who fight the idea of India.

This is the fight between the idea of India and the BJP," Gandhi added.

What were the other suggestions for the alliance's name?

One such suggestion was to call the coalition "India's Main Front (IMF)".

Some other suggested names were "Indian People's Front", "Indian Progressive Front" and "We For India", sources told news agency PTI.

Who will lead the Opposition coalition?

An 11-member committee will be set up for coordination, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge announced after the meeting of the parties in Bengaluru on Tuesday.

What is the objective of the Opposition alliance?

The alliance released a 'Samuhik Sankalp (joint resolution)' after the meeting concluded.

As per the joint resolution, the alliance pledged to: - Take on the ruling NDA in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections - Safeguard the idea of India as enshrined in the Constitution - Confront the "grave economic crisis of ever-rising prices of essential commodities and record unemployment" - Defeat hatred and violence "being manufactured against minorities"; stop the rising crimes against women, Dalits, adivasis and Kashmiri Pandits; demand a fair hearing for all socially, educationally and economically backward communities; - Implement the caste census - Fight what the opposition claimed was a "systemic conspiracy" by the BJP to "target, persecute and suppress our fellow Indians" - Expressing "grave concern" over the "humanitarian tragedy" that has "destroyed" Manipur, the political parties said they are determined to combat and confront the continuing assault on the Constitution and on constitutional rights of democratically elected state governments.

As per the resolution, the opposition parties also pledged "to present to the nation an alternative political, social and economic agenda".

They further promised to "transform both the substance and style of governance that will be more consultative, democratic and participative".

Who all attended the Opposition meet in Bengaluru on July 17-18?

Top opposition leaders, including Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, Kharge, chief ministers of West Bengal, Bihar, Tamil Nadu, Jharkhand, and former chief ministers of Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra attended the meeting.

Other leaders who attended the meet included: Former Congress chief Sonia Gandhi and party leader Rahul Gandhi, Shiv Sena (UBT) leaders Uddhav Thackery, Sanjay Raut and Aditya Thackery and Rastriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad.

How many Opposition meetings have happened so far?

Two.

The meeting of 26 opposition parties that happened in Bengaluru on July 17-18 was the second such that happened in a month.

The first one took place in Patna on June 13.

How many seats NDA has in Lok Sabha currently?

The BJP-led NDA won 332 of the total 543 Lok Sabha seats in the 2019 elections.

The next Lok Sabha elections are slated for 2024, prompting parties to amp up their strategies to win the crucial polls.