Following setbacks in the recently held assembly elections in West Bengal and Tamil Nadu, the INDIA bloc held a crucial meeting in New Delhi on Monday to chalk out its strategy against the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the National Democratic Alliance (NDA).
The meeting, which was held around noon at the Constitutional club in the national capital, was attended by as many as 23 parties of the opposition camp.
Congress national president Mallikarjun Kharge and party MP Rahul Gandhi, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav, Shiv Sena (UBT) supremo Uddhav Thackeray attended it. Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo Mamata Banerjee, who was ousted from power recently, was also present, along with her nephew Abhishek Banerjee.
Many other smaller parties, including the Left parties such as the CPI(M) and CPI, were also a part of Monday's meeting.
AAP to skip, no DMK
However, Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) didn't attend the meeting. In a statement, AAP's chief national spokesperson Priyanka Kakkar said the Congress has failed to challenge the BJP and her party has had issued with the grand old party. The AAP has also claimed that Congress is colluding with BJP "to weaken regional and smaller parties".
"The sole purpose of Congress allying with any party is to strengthen themselves, not the country... we cannot join hands with a party that is against the youth of the country," she told news agency ANI. "We saw in Tamil Nadu, how they backstabbed their alliance in a matter of one day."
Regarding, former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin-led Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), it is nearly certain that the party is out of the INDIA bloc in the aftermath of Congress' alliance with C Joseph Vijay-led Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK). The DMK has consistently accused Congress of 'backstabbing' after it allied with TVK, but the latter refuted the charges, saying Stalin's party was well-informed about it.
Notably, the DMK last month also requested the Lok Sabha Speaker to change seats of its MPs in the Parliament, indicating that it is no longer a part of the opposition camp.
INDIA bloc says it is united
Despite AAP and DMK deciding not to attend Monday's meet, top leaders of the INDIA bloc have maintained that the opposition camp remains united, with the Congress saying the alliance will keep raising concerns over Modi government's policies and its "assault on the Constitution daily".
"The assault on the Constitution continues unabated. Investigative agencies are being persistently used as tools to harass, intimidate, and bully political opponents," Kharge said at Monday's meeting of INDIA bloc.
"Due to the complete mismanagement of the examination system, the hopes and aspirations of our lakhs of youth are being betrayed. Atrocities against the weaker sections of society, especially in BJP-ruled states, continue relentlessly. Our foreign policy has been completely compromised, and those traditional values that India has long staunchly supported have not been upheld," he added.
From here, the biggest test for the INDIA bloc is likely to be the Uttar Pradesh assembly elections next year. Uttar Pradesh remains the most politically significant state in India and it is often said the "road to Delhi goes through UP". Thus, Monday's meeting will be crucial for the alliance. However, in UP, the opposition will face a tough challenge from the BJP, which is seeking a third straight term in the state.
Meanwhile, assembly elections will also be held in Punjab, Uttarakhand, Manipur, Goa, Himachal Pradesh and Gujarat in 2027. All these elections will be crucial for the INDIA bloc and will certainly test the bloc's unity ahead of the 2029 Lok Sabha polls.
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