NEW DELHI: In a significant political gesture, senior Congress leaders Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi on Thursday paid tribute to former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi on his birth anniversary, hailing him as a champion of social justice and equality.
The remarks come at a time when both parties are at loggerheads after the grand old party severed ties with the DMK to join the Vijay led TVK government in Tamil Nadu.
Tagging former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin in his post, Kharge said, "My respectful tributes to Kalaignar on his birth anniversary. A beloved leader of Tamil Nadu, his lifelong commitment to social justice, equality, rational thought and democratic values transformed countless lives. Kalaignar Karunanidhi's immense contribution to public life, including art and literature, will forever be remembered with deep respect."
In his post on X, Gandhi said Karunanidhi was not just a chief minister, he was a writer, a poet, a thinker.
"'Kalaignar' M. Karunanidhi spent his life fighting for the dignity of the Tamil people, for social justice, and for the rights of the marginalised," the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha said, hailing the DMK veteran who passed away in 2018.
Incidentally, the gesture comes ahead of an INDIA bloc meeting on June 8, expected to draw opposition leaders nationwide, including Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee and Abhishek Banerjee amid internal party tensions. Banerjee is likely to raise the issue of alleged attacks on TMC leaders in Bengal and rally support of INDIA bloc parties.
According to sources, senior leaders of the opposition bloc are likely to meet in the national capital to discuss their joint strategy to take on the BJP-led government and reinforce opposition unity.
However there is no clarity on the participation of DMK, given the strained ties between Congress and the DMK. Congress sources said efforts are on to bring on board TVK led by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Jospeh Vijay.
Among those likely to participate are Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray, Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav among others. The meeting, which is expected to bring together representatives of around 15 opposition parties, comes in the backdrop of the recent assembly elections in which two main INDIA bloc constituents TMC and DMK were ousted from power in West Bengal and Tamil Nadu, respectively.
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has already publicly distanced itself from the bloc and is not likely to attend the meeting, scheduled to take place at the Constitution Club.
According to the sources, the gathering is being seen as an effort to deepen coordination among opposition parties, particularly after the recent round of assembly elections and amid evolving political equations in several states.
The last official meeting of the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) was held in New Delhi on June 1, 2024, just ahead of the Lok Sabha election.
On August 7, 2025, Rahul Gandhi hosted a crucial strategy dinner for top INDIA bloc leaders at his New Delhi residence that brought together nearly 50 leaders from over 25 opposition parties, where the issue of alleged electoral manipulation, particularly the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter rolls in Bihar, was raised.
The INDIA bloc leadership has since then got together formally during consultations ahead of Parliament sessions, when opposition parties discussed floor coordination and issues to be jointly raised against the central government.
These included moving notices against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, seeking his removal.
The recent assembly election outcomes have prompted fresh introspection within opposition ranks.
The INDIA alliance, formed ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, comprises several opposition parties that have sought to jointly challenge the BJP-led NDA at the national level.
