INDIA Bloc Meet Tomorrow, 23 Parties Confirm Participation
Congress Says Alliance United Against BJP; DMK and AAP to Skip Key Delhi Meeting
- Jairam Ramesh says 23 parties will attend INDIA bloc meeting
- Meeting to be held at Constitution Club in New Delhi
- DMK and AAP among parties skipping the gathering
- Mamata Banerjee expected to play a key role in discussions
GG News Bureau
New Delhi, 7th June: The Opposition alliance INDIA will hold a crucial meeting at the Constitution Club in New Delhi on Monday, with Congress leader Jairam Ramesh announcing that 23 political parties have confirmed their participation.
Ramesh said several other parties, though unable to attend due to their own commitments, continue to oppose what he described as the Narendra Modi government’s policies and actions.
In a statement on social media, the Congress leader alleged that the Centre’s actions were “stripping millions of Indians of their right to vote, constantly attacking the Constitution, and targeting Opposition leaders using investigative agencies.”
He also accused the government of damaging livelihoods, fuelling inflation, hurting the investment climate and compromising national interests through its foreign policy.
“Like India itself, the INDIA bloc stands united in its diversity,” Ramesh said.
The meeting assumes significance as it comes amid shifting political equations within the Opposition alliance. Notably, the DMK led by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) headed by Arvind Kejriwal will not participate.
The DMK’s absence follows a breakdown in its relationship with the Congress after the latter aligned with actor-turned-politician Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) in Tamil Nadu. The rift has deepened to the extent that the DMK recently sought separate seating arrangements from Congress members in both Houses of Parliament.
Unlike the previous two INDIA bloc meetings, which were hosted at the residences of Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, Sunday’s gathering will be held at the neutral venue of Constitution Club.
The meeting is being convened at the initiative of Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee. Both Banerjee and party national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee are expected to attend.
Political observers believe the West Bengal leader’s participation carries added significance amid speculation surrounding upcoming by-elections in the state, including the vacant Basirhat Lok Sabha seat.
Sources indicate that Banerjee may seek broader Opposition cooperation in West Bengal, where political equations have become increasingly fluid following recent developments within the Trinamool Congress and the wider Opposition landscape.
Responding to Jairam Ramesh’s announcement, Trinamool Congress Rajya Sabha MP Derek O’Brien said the meeting would be guided by a “shared purpose and clear resolve.”
“A meeting with a shared purpose and clear resolve — a united INDIA. Many parties are looking forward to this meeting, driven by a spirit of mutual brotherhood and harmony,” O’Brien said.
The meeting is expected to focus on coordination among Opposition parties ahead of upcoming political battles and evolving national issues.
