Sonia Gandhi, the congress president, summoned a conference of Opposition parties on friday with a clear message: it was time to conduct a united onslaught against the BJP-led government.The conference expanded on the coordination that was obvious in parliament during the monsoon session among non-National Democratic Alliance groups. mamata banerjee, whose success in bengal has empowered the Opposition and whose national ambitions are now clear, and Sharad Pawar, regarded the grand old man of the Opposition with the resources, networks, and talents to reach across party lines, were among those who attended.

 The meeting closed with a declaration criticising the Centre's governance, focusing on Covid-19 and vaccine policy, economic management, Pegasus, farm laws, planned privatisation of public sector entities, and erosion of fundamental rights, among other things.

There have been attempts to bring disparate parties together — the Janata Dal (Secular)-Congress alliance in karnataka was motivated by a desire to keep the bjp out but lasted just over a year; in Uttar Pradesh, both the Samajwadi party (SP) and the Bahujan Samaj party, as well as the SP and the congress, have allied against the bjp with little success.

 However, there appears to be a greater understanding of the magnitude of the challenge faced by the BJP's supremacy. It is well ahead of the competition in terms of organisation and finances; it has the most popular leader in the country in narendra Modi; it has demonstrated a remarkable ability to weave welfare, religion, nationalism, and caste together; and it has the power to cripple the opposition.

All of this has made Opposition leaders realise that they must start preparing for a battle in 2024 right now. Last-minute coalitions and hurried campaigns aren't going to be enough to beat the BJP.

However, three issues remain. The topic of leadership will continue to divide the opposition — deferring it until after the elections gives the bjp an advantage; resolving it and narrowing down on a leader is difficult and can fracture the opposition even before any formal unity is reached. Issues are difficult to pinpoint — focusing on the economy while disregarding the politics of culture allows the bjp to appropriate nationalism while opposing Hindutva may no longer be electorally appealing. And, particularly in bipolar states, congress remains the weak link. Shows of togetherness will not suffice unless these obstacles are overcome.