"Life Support": Omar Abdullah's Sharp Critique of INDIA Alliance Incites RJD Anger, BJP Mockery

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah ignited a fresh political firestorm on Friday, December 5, 2025, by likening the opposition INDIA bloc to a patient on "life support" during a candid panel discussion at the 23rd Hindustan Times Leadership Summit in the capital. The National Conference leader's sharp critique—delivered amid reflections on the alliance's post-Lok Sabha election struggles—exposed simmering fractures within the grouping, drawing swift rebukes from partners like the RJD while eliciting gleeful mockery from the BJP.

Abdullah's remarks, made in the presence of industry leaders and policymakers, underscored the bloc's inability to sustain momentum after key setbacks, including Nitish Kumar's defection to the NDA in Bihar, positioning the controversy as a microcosm of opposition disarray ahead of upcoming state polls. The exchange highlighted how personal frustrations can amplify coalition vulnerabilities in India's polarised landscape.

Abdullah painted a vivid picture of the INDIA alliance's precarious state, stating, "We're sort of on life support, but every once in a while, somebody brings out his paddles and gives us a bit of a shock, and we get up again. But then, unfortunately, results like Bihar happen, and we slump down again, and then somebody has to wheel us into the ICU." He specifically faulted the bloc for excluding the Hemant Soren-led Jharkhand Mukti Morcha from Bihar seat-sharing talks and for inadvertently "pushing Nitish Kumar back into the arms of the NDA," referencing the January 2024 political volte-face that toppled the Mahagathbandhan government. These comments, rooted in the alliance's failure to consolidate gains from the 2024 general elections—where it denied the BJP a majority but struggled with internal coordination—have reignited debates on leadership vacuums and strategic missteps, with Abdullah's candour seen by some as a call for introspection and by others as disloyalty.

The INDIA bloc's response was a mix of defensiveness and damage control, revealing underlying tensions among its diverse constituents. RJD Rajya Sabha MP Manoj Jha rebuked Abdullah, saying, "People comment hastily in adverse circumstances, but one should avoid doing so... If the alliance is on life support, Omar is also a part of the alliance. What are his attempts to revive it? This is not about one political party; it is the responsibility of all members." In contrast, Congress MP Manoj Kumar offered a protective stance, asserting, "Omar is our alliance partner... He is saying so that our alliance remains stronger. He will not go to the BJP; he is with us," while crediting Rahul Gandhi's influence for the National Conference's recent assembly poll triumph in Jammu and Kashmir, where it secured 42 seats alongside Congress's six. This split reaction underscores the bloc's fragility, forged hastily in 2023 to counter the BJP but plagued by ego clashes and regional priorities ever since.

Also Read: INDIA Bloc on Life Support, Says Omar Abdullah, Exposes Opposition Weakness

Seizing the moment, the BJP erupted in schadenfreude, portraying Abdullah's outburst as the opposition's obituary. Senior leader Shahnawaz Hussain quipped, "Omar Abdullah is wrong. The INDI alliance is not on life support; it has died. The INDI Alliance ended after the Lok Sabha election. A tribute should be paid to it. It has neither leader nor policy." The ruling party's delight stems from the INDIA bloc's perceived implosion, which bolsters Prime Minister Narendra Modi's narrative of a rudderless opposition during his own summit address earlier that day, where he dismissed historical economic labels like the "Hindu rate of growth". With state elections looming in Bihar and Maharashtra, the BJP views such infighting as a gift, potentially consolidating its NDA dominance.

This episode not only lays bare the INDIA alliance's existential challenges but also raises questions about its viability as a counterforce to the BJP's electoral machine. Formed as a 26-party front to champion secularism and social justice, it has since haemorrhaged allies and cohesion, prompting calls for a revamp under clearer leadership. As Abdullah's "life support" metaphor reverberates, it serves as a stark reminder of how internal discord can undermine collective ambitions in India's high-stakes democracy, where unity often proves more aspirational than achievable.

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