'BJP formidably organized..not sure if INDIA still intact': Chidambaram
What's the story
Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram has praised the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), saying it is "formidably organized" in all departments.
However, he expressed doubts about the future of the opposition alliance INDIA bloc while speaking at the launch of Salman Khurshid and Mritunjay Singh Yadav's book Contesting Democratic Deficit.
"The future is not so bright as Mrityunjay Singh Yadav says....Maybe Salman can answer... because he was part of the negotiating team of the INDIA alliance," Chidambaram said on Thursday.
Alliance concerns
Chidambaram uncertain about future of opposition alliance
He went on to say, "If INDIA alliance is totally intact...I would be very, very happy, but it seems frail. It can be put together. There is still time."
Chidambaram warned that the INDIA bloc is facing a "formidable machinery."
"In my experience and my reading of history, there has been no political party so formidably organized as the BJP. It's not just another political party. It's a machine behind a machine, and the two machines control all the machineries."
Twitter Post
Chidambaram at book launch
#WATCH | Delhi: Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram says, "The future is not so bright as Mr Mrityunjay Singh Yadav says. He seems to feel that the INDIA alliance is still intact. I am not sure. Maybe Salman (Khurshid) can answer because he was part of the negotiating team of… pic.twitter.com/ZTJA9xsS1L
— ANI (@ANI) May 16, 2025
Democracy assertion
Chidambaram asserts India's electoral democracy
"This formidable missionary must be fought on all fronts," the Congress leader said.
Regarding the 2029 general elections, Chidambaram said that they could either strengthen the BJP or lead to the restoration of "a full-fledged democracy."
Agreeing with Chidambaram, Khurshid said there were issues concerning the INDIA bloc that needed addressing.
"The takeaway from Chidambaram's views is that we have to be prepared for....2029. We have to deal with....how to get the alliance partners together," the former foreign minister said.
BJP's response
BJP spokesperson responds to Chidambaram's comments
Reacting to Chidambaram's comments, BJP national spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari wrote on X, "Opposition will not be intact in future, BJP is a formidable organization. Even Rahul Gandhi's close aides know Congress has no future."
Chidambaram's warning comes months before a series of important state polls.
Bihar will vote in the second half of 2025. Bengal and Tamil Nadu will vote in 2026, while Uttar Pradesh votes in 2027. Karnataka, Telangana, Rajasthan, and Madhya Pradesh will join in 2028.