Future is not so bright: Congress leader P Chidambaram on INDIA bloc unity

ANI May 16, 2025 152 views

Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram expressed skepticism about the INDIA opposition bloc's unity while speaking at a book launch in Delhi. He described the BJP as an unprecedented political force controlling institutions from the Election Commission to local police stations. Chidambaram emphasized the 2029 elections as decisive for either strengthening BJP's dominance or restoring democratic norms. The veteran politician credited co-authors Salman Khurshid and Mritunjay Singh Yadav for documenting the challenges of countering BJP's electoral machinery.

"The future is not so bright... It's frayed at the seams, but it can be put together." - P Chidambaram
New Delhi, May 15: Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram on Thursday expressed doubts about the future of the INDIA bloc, saying that it is frayed at the seams. However, he added that the bloc could still be saved with time.

Key Points

1

Chidambaram warns INDIA bloc is weakening but salvageable

2

Calls BJP a formidable political machine unlike traditional parties

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Stresses 2029 polls could reshape democracy or cement BJP dominance

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Credits Salman Khurshid's book for exposing electoral challenges

"The future is not so bright as Mr Mritunjay Singh Yadav said. He seemed to feel that the India alliance is still intact. I'm not sure. It's only Salman can answer, because he was part of the negotiating team for the India alliance. If the India alliance is intact, I'm very, very happy. But it shows, it's at the seams, it's frayed. It can be put together, there's still time," Chidambaram said.

Chidambaram was speaking at the book launch of Contesting Democratic Deficit: An Inside Story of the 2024 Elections by Salman Khurshid and Mritunjay Singh Yadav at the India International Centre in the national capital.

Chidambaram described the BJP as not another political party but an exceptionally well-organised political force and stressed that it must be challenged on multiple fronts to challenge its dominance.

"In my experience and reading of history, there has been no political party as formidably organised as the BJP. In every department, it's formidable. It's not another political party. It's a machine behind which it's a machine, and the two machines control all the machinery of India, from the Election Commission of India to the lowest police station in India; they are able to control or sometimes capture these institutions. This is a formidable missionary you're fighting. It's not another political party. This formidable missionary must be fought on all fronts," he said.

Chidambaram stressed the importance of the 2029 elections, saying that they could either strengthen the BJP's political machinery or restore full-fledged democracy.

"As the author has described from a ringside view, the difficulty of fighting this formidable missionary. That's the message I get from the book. So the next elections, we don't know where it will go. 2029 elections may make a decisive turn to strengthen this formidable missionary and then we are beyond repair or the 2029 elections must return us to a full-fledged democracy. The 2029 elections are critical," he said.

Reader Comments

Here are 6 diverse Indian perspective comments for the article:
R
Rajiv K.
Chidambaram is speaking hard truths. The opposition needs to get its act together instead of these public spats. BJP's organizational strength is unmatched, and until opposition leaders stop their ego clashes, 2029 will be another walkover. Unity is the only way forward!
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Priya M.
While I respect Chidambaram's experience, such negative statements in public weaken the opposition further. Leaders should sort differences behind closed doors. The INDIA bloc has good intentions but needs better coordination. Hope they learn from 2024 results 🤞
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Arjun S.
The BJP's organizational strength is indeed impressive, but calling it a "missionary" seems exaggerated. Strong opposition is healthy for democracy, but opposition leaders must offer concrete alternatives, not just criticism. Where are their positive visions for India?
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Sunita R.
As a young voter, I'm tired of this opposition infighting. They had 5 years to prepare and still couldn't present a united front. Chidambaram is right about BJP's discipline - maybe opposition should learn from them instead of just complaining! 😤
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Vikram J.
Interesting that this comes at a book launch - seems like opposition leaders are better at writing books than winning elections! Jokes aside, Chidambaram makes valid points about institutional capture. But finger-pointing won't help - need concrete action plans.
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Neha P.
The constant focus on 2029 shows how opposition has already accepted defeat in state elections coming before that. This long-term thinking is good, but they need to fight every election like it's their last. Small wins build momentum for bigger battles!

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P Chidambaram INDIA bloc BJP Congress 2024 elections Salman Khurshid Mritunjay Singh Yadav