NEW DELHI: The opposition INDIA bloc is set to hold a meeting in the national capital on Monday, marking its first formal gathering in several months.The meeting comes in the wake of recent assembly elections in four states and the Union territory of Puducherry, results that dealt a setback to the opposition alliance. The BJP, which will seek a fourth consecutive term at the Centre in 2029, secured a historic victory in West Bengal for the first time and retained Assam for a third straight term.According to reports, the meeting has been convened at the request of the Trinamool Congress (TMC), which suffered a major setback after losing power in West Bengal following 15 years in office and is now grappling with internal dissent. The Mamata Banerjee-led party has had a fluctuating relationship with the INDIA bloc and had contested the 2024 Lok Sabha elections independently in West Bengal.The meeting is scheduled to begin at 12 noon at the Constitution Club of India in New Delhi and is expected to focus on reviewing the opposition’s recent electoral performance and charting a strategy for the political challenges ahead.Parties attending INDIA bloc meetAhead of the gathering, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh confirmed 23 parties would participate, while noting that some parties had opted out “for their own reasons”.Also Read | INDIA bloc huddle in Delhi: TMC among 23 parties to attend June 8 meet — key agendasDespite their absence, he said those parties remained aligned with the Opposition’s criticism of the Narendra Modi government. In a post on X, Ramesh wrote that they had conveyed their “strong opposition” to policies and actions that were “snatching away the right to vote for millions of Indians, assaulting the Constitution daily, attacking Opposition leaders through investigative agencies” and harming livelihoods, fuelling inflation, undermining youth aspirations, weakening the investment climate and compromising national interests through foreign policy.Uddhav Thackeray, who heads Shiv Sena (UBT), a member of the bloc, will be in attendance virtually.Parties skipping India bloc meetThe Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) has already announced that it will skip the INDIA bloc meeting, citing what it described as the Congress’ “betrayal.”The decision follows a major political realignment in Tamil Nadu, where the Congress broke ranks with its long-time ally DMK and joined hands with actor-politician Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK). The alliance helped the TVK come to power in the state, ending the DMK’s one-term stint in office and straining ties between the two parties.The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is also reportedly set to skip the meeting.Tensions with INDIA blocAnother key issue hanging over the meeting is the dispute between Congress and the Communist Party of India-Marxist over remarks made during the Kerala assembly election campaign.CPM general secretary MA Baby has written to Kharge seeking clarification over repeated allegations by Congress leaders that the CPM had an understanding with the BJP in Kerala.Tensions have also been reported between the Congress and Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) after the grand old party unilaterally announced candidates for the upcoming Rajya Sabha polls.
