Neither any policy nor any intention: Ravi Shankar Prasad on INDIA bloc

After a dramatic volte-face, ditching the Mahagathbandhan (grand alliance) and the INDIA bloc and forming a new government with the BJP, JD(U) Chief Nitish Kumar along with eight ministers took oath on Sunday, BJP Leader Ravi Shankar Prasad launched a scathing attack on the INDIA bloc, questioning their lack of trust, internal discord, and fading relevance.

Of the eight ministers who were sworn in along with Kumar were three each from the BJP and the JD-U, one from HAM and one independent.

Among the Ministers sworn in were Samrat Chowdhary, Vijay Kumar Sinha and Prem Kumar (BJP), Bijendra Prasad Yadav, Vijay Kumar Chowdhary and Shrawan Kumar (JD-U), Santosh Suman (HAM-S and son of Jitan Ram Manjhi) and Sumit Kumar Singh (Independent).

"The biggest thing is who kept whom in the dark, that tells the result. Nitish Kumar was saying that talk about seat adjustment. The basic thing must be understood. Lack of trust: Whether a relationship is personal or political, depends on trust. Do you have faith in the INDIA alliance? If anyone wants to talk, the party runs away wherever they enter the Nyaya Yatra. And another big question! Everything in the Congress Party is over. But the ego is that we are a very big party is still in Congress," said Ravi Shankar Prasad.

INDIA or 'Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance' is a group of opposition parties, including the Congress. The parties have come together to take on the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), which is led by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), and prevent it from winning a third straight term at the Centre in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

The first meeting of the alliance was convened in Patna in June last year and the second two-day meeting was held a month later in Bengaluru, where the acronym INDIA was christened.

Further critiquing the opposition, Prasad emphasized the absence of a clear vision or leader within the INDIA bloc. He stated, "I have said it again and again. There is neither any policy nor any intention nor is there any leader in this entire alliance?"

He highlighted the issue of "Nyaya Yatra," where parties allegedly shy away from joint campaigning, showcasing a fractured front. He questioned the Congress Party's fading popularity, asking, "Do you have faith in the INDIA alliance? ... Everything old in the Congress Party is over. But the ego is that we are a very big party. It raises the question how many votes do you have left?"

Ravi Shankar Prasad also predicted a landslide victory under PM Modi in the 2024 Loksabha election, stating, "The country! Again, it is ready to give an even bigger majority to Narendra Modi ji.