A crucial INDIA alliance meeting was conducted in New Delhi on Monday. The key gathering was attended by several leaders, including Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, and former West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC Chief Mamata Banerjee.
Following the high-profile meeting of the Opposition alliance, addressing a media briefing, Kharge listed out the various points that were agreed upon.
Kharge said a consensus was reached to send a letter to the Chief Justice of India (CJI) at the earliest.
“It was agreed to send a letter to the Chief Justice of India on SIR, vote loot and stealing elections. The letter is to be delivered to the Chief Justice of India very soon,” he said.
Kharge also added that the INDIA bloc had unanimously resolved to seek the immediate resignation of the Union Education Minister over alleged irregularities affecting students who appeared for NEET and CBSE examinations.
Congress President Kharge detailed the bloc’s immediate action plan, focusing on youth, institutional integrity, and a sustained joint opposition front.
INDIA bloc meets to take place every 2 months
Strategy meetings of all alliance partners will be held regularly inside the office of the LoP to ensure a unified front.
Kharge further said the alliance partners will now meet every two months to review national politics and coordinate strategy. He said that the next formal meeting of the INDIA bloc leaders has been locked in for August 8.
Demand for an all-party meeting
“The Union government should immediately call an all-party meeting to discuss the precarious current economic situation, unemployment, price rise and farmers’ issue and other people-centric issues. It was agreed that all of the parties would meet every two months…The Parliament coordination will continue during the monsoon session with daily morning meetings in the Office of the Leader of the Opposition,” Kharge said.
TVK, DMK not at meeting
DMK will not attend the meeting as Congress ended its long-standing partnership with the party after Congress joined hands with the Vijay-led Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK).
Meanwhile, citing sources, IANS reported that TVK did not attend the INDIA bloc meeting as invitations were limited to parties currently represented in Parliament. However, some parties that joined the alliance before the 2024 Lok Sabha elections continued to participate despite not having MPs at present.
BJP on INDIA bloc meet
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday launched an attack on the opposition INDIA bloc, describing it as a coalition of “disappointed people” brought together by electoral setbacks and claiming that the alliance lacks cohesion, trust and a shared political direction.
BJP MP Praveen Khandelwal said the opposition parties were attempting to regroup after suffering a series of electoral defeats.
“Today, the entire opposition is demoralised due to repeated electoral defeats. They are frustrated and disappointed, and are trying to come together as a group of disappointed people. This is not an alliance, because in an alliance all parties move together. Here, every party is working separately,” Khandelwal told IANS.
Rajya Sabha MP Ghulam Ali Khatana also criticised the opposition coalition, arguing that the Congress had failed to effectively raise issues concerning the public and questioning the very relevance of the INDIA bloc.
The BJP’s criticism comes at a time when opposition parties are attempting to strengthen coordination ahead of upcoming political battles and parliamentary sessions.
