The BJP's mega gathering of 38 parties started this evening just as the united opposition meet ended with a declaration of its name -- I.N.D.I.A -- with Prime Minister Narendra Modi meeting and greeting the allies. "It is a matter of immense joy that our valued NDA partners from across India will be attending the meeting in Delhi today. Ours is a time-tested alliance which seeks to further national progress and fulfil regional aspirations," he had tweeted earlier today.
Most of the 38 allies meeting today are smaller parties with pockets of influence and a few or no MPs. Many of them are hoping that the meeting with the Prime Minister will give them an opportunity to settle their aspirations for seats in the next year's election.
The BJP has been networking in a planned manner. Already strong in most northern states, the BJP has been sticking to its plan of beefing up in the south, west and northeast. In crucial states like Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, it is only seeking to extend its footprint by patching in parties that have influence among backward classes and Scheduled Castes and Tribes.
In Bihar, Nitish Kumar had mopped up all the parties into the Grand Alliance, leaving only the fractured Lok Janshakti Party to the BJP. The BJP is now attempting to effect a reconciliation between Chirag Paswan and its uncle, which will give it access to the six per cent Paswan votes.
Three more parties from Bihar -- Upendra Singh Kushwaha of the Rashtriya Lok Samta Party, and Mukesh Sahani of the Vikassheel Insaan Party and Jitin Ram Manjhi of Hindustani Awam Morcha are expected to join the NDA.
In the south, the BJP has drawn actor Pawan Kalyan's Jan Sena and the faction of Kerala Congress led by Kerala Congress (Thomas).
This is the first such meeting of the National Democratic Alliance ahead of next year's general election -- a fact the Opposition has been taking digs at since the meeting was announced a few days ago.
Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge claimed the BJP is reacting to the Opposition's unity move.
"Earlier, they (the BJP) never cared. They never spoke... Tukde tukde ho gaya tha (the NDA was in pieces)... Now PM trying to put them together. It shows he is afraid of the Opposition," Mr Kharge said. About the parties attending the NDA meet, he added, "Don't know who they are. If they are registered parties, I have not heard that there are so many parties in India".
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