The results of the recent assembly elections in five states should serve as a clarion call for the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA). The Congress had bet on these polls, expecting that a positive outcome would yield it greater bargaining power with other regional players in the run-up to the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. The regional constituents of INDIA expressed their anguish, as the Congress had forced the idea of INDIA to take the backseat, after an enthusiastic beginning.However, the BJP’s victories in the three heartland states have made one aspect of Indian elections clear. They have increasingly become bi-polar contests, and with a dominant BJP in pole position, the INDIA constituents will only end up undercutting each other if they prioritise their egos over their common concerns. The Congress and other anti-BJP forces appear to have stagnated at their traditional vote shares, with minor increases here and there. But those are only occasional and can’t be factored in easily, given the drastic changes the Assembly elections and Lok Sabha polls have witnessed over the last decade. The BJP, on the other hand, seems to be surging towards the 50% mark in the Hindi-speaking states.In such circumstances, INDIA needs to go back to the basics. It needs to project a dynamic collective leadership, chart an ideological narrative that clearly differentiates it from the BJP and expand its social base. Given how the Opposition parties are still fighting over territorial control, this is easier said than done. They have less than five months to face the Lok Sabha polls, which most probably will also be a period when the BJP goes into political overdrive. Yet, to come together as early as possible is the only option for them.Also read: The PMO Has Morphed Into an Independent Executive Force – Where Is the Cabinet?If the INDIA leaders think that merely reaching a consensus on seat-sharing can trump the BJP, they may be in for another unpleasant surprise. The recent polls showed that the single-biggest issue of a caste census that INDIA parties raised had barely any takers on the ground. This only implies that all INDIA constituents will have to work together to create a competitive political narrative around the demand. They have to channel their resources to ensure that their message reaches the targets ― OBCs, Dalits, Muslims, and the Adivasis. And they have to walk this talk by taking radical and possibly risky decisions like promoting new leadership on the ground, sidelining leaders who have become liabilities, and drawing more candidates from marginalised backgrounds.This would require an unprecedented joint effort on their part to mobilise people and connect with them, even as they will need to bring order to their own houses. The leaders and workers of all INDIA constituents need to speak in one voice, avoid getting trapped in unnecessary controversies, and raise common issues aggressively for their supporters to rally around. Only then can they expect to have a shot at unseating the BJP.There is resentment among people on a variety of issues like price rise, unemployment and a general sense of alienation. But INDIA is far from being a credible alternative to the Narendra Modi-led BJP for the majority of the electorate, however hard one tries to look at it positively.The Herculean challenge that INDIA faces at the moment can only be met by surefooted leaders. Since regional players in INDIA have already given the mantle to the Congress, the role of Mallikajrun Kharge will be decisive. In the short time that he has helmed the Congress, he has shown enough signs that he could be the fulcrum that INDIA needs, as other big leaders like Nitish Kumar, Lalu Prasad and even Sharad Pawar will have to remain in their strongholds. Kharge has attempted to implement progressive decisions announced in the Udaipur Declaration of 2022, but he hasn’t been able to spend enough time at the top. He has also focussed his election speeches on issues of the poor and shown a strong commitment towards multiculturalism, although he hasn’t received much support from the party’s regional satraps.Also read: With Internal Democracy Taking Root, Congress Appears To Be ThrivingAt the launch of a book on Kharge in New Delhi recently, the Rashtriya Janata Dal MP Manoj Kumar Jha narrated from personal experience that Kharge’s incredible capacity to listen to others makes him fundamentally different from many other leaders. The Congress president has had a parallel life with the Indian republic, he said, and that reflects in his commitment to justice, freedom and equality. “Both Dr Ambedkar and Nehru were inspired by Buddha but I believe both were impacted by different aspects of his teachings. While Ambedkar found emancipation in Buddha, Nehru found compassion. Now, Kharge ji is building a bridge between the two (aspects of Buddha’s teachings),” Jha said.Kharge’s acceptability, among other things, makes him the ideal candidate to steer the INDIA bloc. Backed by decades of political experience, only he has the ability to pack an united house.