Leaders of several opposition parties on Monday underscored the importance of unity within the INDIA bloc and stressed the need to protect democratic values while addressing issues affecting people's livelihoods, as key leaders of the alliance gathered for a crucial meeting in New Delhi.
The meeting, held at the Constitution Club, comes amid signs of strain within the opposition coalition, with differences surfacing among some of its constituent parties in recent weeks.
Opposition leaders including Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge of the Congress, Mamata Banerjee of the Trinamool Congress, Akhilesh Yadav of Samajwadi Party, Tejashwi Yadav of RJD, Omar Abdullah of National Conference and Mehbooba Mufti of PDP, besides Left leaders attended the meeting.
NCP(SP) leader Supriya Sule, CPI(M)'s John Brittas, CPI's D Raja and leaders of some smaller parties were also part of the deliberations.
Shiv Sena (UBT)'s Uddhav Thackeray attended the meeting virtually.
The DMK and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) are not part of the deliberations as they have opted out of the bloc.
TVK also did not attend the meeting.
Sources said parties with MPs and those who were part of the original INDIA bloc were invited.
The leaders began deliberations to help forge unity and rework their strategy to take on the BJP, while ironing out differences within after the defeat of regional outfits like the TMC and DMK in the recent assembly polls.
The meeting also comes at a time when the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government completed 12 years in power in its third consecutive term.
Over 20 political parties are at the meeting amid a BJP surge in the country in the run-up to the next assembly election cycle in states and the 2029 Lok Sabha polls.
Asked about the agenda of the meeting, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav said decisions would be taken collectively by alliance partners.
"We will decide the agenda in the meeting," Yadav told reporters, adding that efforts would be made to move towards a "bandhu rashtra". It was important to safeguard democratic values, he said.
RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav declined to comment on the likely outcomes of the meeting, saying details would emerge after discussions among alliance partners.
CPI general secretary D Raja said the meeting was significant as it was being held after a considerable gap and at a time when constituent parties had several issues requiring discussion.
"There is no particular agenda, but there are issues which political parties have. Left parties do have issues concerning the livelihood of the people and issues confronting the nation as a whole," Raja said.
Recalling that the opposition alliance had come together with the call of "BJP Hatao, Desh Bachao", Raja said the meeting would deliberate on how constituent parties could work together with mutual trust and mutual respect while giving priority to issues concerning ordinary people.
He also referred to concerns raised by some alliance partners over the conduct of parties in states and said opposition leaders should avoid actions that deepen mistrust within the coalition.
The gathering marks the first formal meeting of top INDIA bloc leaders in a long time, with the last such engagement taking place during the 2024 Lok Sabha election campaign.
Rahul Gandhi had hosted opposition leaders at his residence in August last year, bringing together nearly 50 leaders from over 25 parties.
At that meeting, opposition leaders had raised concerns over alleged electoral manipulation, particularly the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter rolls in Bihar. Since then, INDIA bloc leaders have met mainly during consultations ahead of Parliament sessions to coordinate floor strategy and identify issues to jointly raise against the Centre.
The meeting comes amid shifts within the opposition alliance. The DMK and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) are not participating after distancing themselves from the bloc. While AAP has publicly moved away from the alliance, the DMK had earlier announced its decision to skip the meeting following the Congress ending ties with it in Tamil Nadu and joining the TVK-led government.
Leaders are expected to deliberate on the alliance’s future course and attempt to present a united front against the Modi government on key national issues ahead of upcoming state elections and the 2029 Lok Sabha polls.
The recent defeat of the Trinamool Congress (TMC) in West Bengal is also seen as a factor prompting renewed opposition coordination amid the BJP’s growing political momentum. The TMC is expected to raise allegations of attacks on its leaders in Bengal and seek support from alliance partners.
Recent Assembly election results have also sharpened differences within the bloc. The CPI(M) is expected to raise concerns with the Congress over allegations that the Left had a political understanding with the BJP during the Kerala polls, where the Left government lost power to the Congress-led UDF.
Ahead of the meeting, the BJP dismissed the opposition grouping, saying the alliance is "a figment of imagination" and lacks conviction on the ground.
Responding to the criticism, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said that, like India, the "INDIA janbandhan" continues to stand united through its diversity.
The last official meeting of the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) was held in New Delhi on June 1, 2024, ahead of the Lok Sabha elections. The bloc was originally formed with the support of over 25 opposition parties.
(With inputs from PTI)