NEW DELHI: Knives were out at the crucial meeting of the opposition INDIA alliance on Monday, where the Congress, the largest constituent of the bloc, came under sharp criticism from several allies over poor coordination and the party's approach towards the coalition partners.
The Samajwadi Party (SP), Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), NCP (SP), National Conference (NC) and the Left parties raised strong objection to Congress's handling of the alliance partners, especially the DMK.
According to sources present at the meeting, the main bone of contention was the absence of the DMK, with several leaders questioning why one of the alliance's most important constituents was not present. They also urged the Congress to take steps to bring the Dravidian party back into the fold.
DMK boycotted the meeting, citing discontent of its cadres over the "betrayal" by the Congress after the grand old party chose to join the Vijay-led TVK government in Tamil Nadu.
The sharpest criticism came from SP chief Akhilesh Yadav. Invited by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge to speak first, Yadav did not mince words as he attacked Congress for its failure to coordinate effectively with allies at the state level.
Raising the issue of the DMK's absence, Yadav said that as the largest party in the bloc, Congress should be "magnanimous" and display a "large heart" in dealing with allies.
He reminded the meeting that there had been an understanding among alliance constituents that, wherever regional parties were strong, Congress would support them rather than compete with them.
In a veiled reference to Congress's attacks on the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and Left parties in various states, Yadav said the opposition alliance must maintain a uniform position on issues such as the alleged misuse of central agencies by the BJP-led government.
"From Kashmir to Kanyakumari, the Congress must adopt the same position," he said, according to sources.
The SP chief also stressed the need for more frequent bloc meetings and expressed concern that the alliance had failed to focus on several pressing issues facing the country.
Yadav said minority voters were being removed in large numbers from the electoral rolls of Uttar Pradesh and called on the alliance to collectively raise such concerns.
RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav was equally critical of the Congress. Taking aim at the party's functioning in Bihar, he termed the Congress's state unit as "compromised" and said that the opposition alliance had lost a Rajya Sabha seat because Congress MLAs had defected to the BJP.
Tejashwi also blamed infighting within the alliance and the Congress for electoral setbacks, claiming that the opposition had lost at least 13 to 14 Assembly seats because of poor coordination and internal disputes.
Backing Akhilesh Yadav's statements, the RJD leader strongly pitched for the DMK's return to the alliance. He also argued that the bloc would have been in a stronger position had it managed to retain Janata Dal (United).
NCP leader Supriya Sule echoed the sentiment, arguing in favour of efforts to bring the DMK back into the opposition coalition.
The Left parties also used the meeting to express their dissatisfaction with the Congress leadership.
CPI(M) Rajya Sabha MP John Brittas objected to recent remarks by Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge suggesting a "deal" between the CPI(M) and the BJP in Kerala.
On Saturday, CPI(M) general secretary M A Baby had written a strongly worded letter to Kharge, seeking clarification over statements made by senior Congress leaders regarding an alleged CPI(M)-BJP deal in Kerala.
According to sources, Brittas told the meeting that allegations carried greater weight when they came from leaders such as Kharge and Rahul Gandhi, who represented the face of the Congress party.
Reminding Rahul Gandhi of the Left's role in national politics, Brittas said that in 2004, the CPI(M) had defeated the Congress in several constituencies but nevertheless contributed to the formation of the UPA government by extending support with 64 seats in order to keep the BJP out of power.
"We have never compromised in our fight against the BJP," Brittas said.
He also accused the Congress of missing the larger political picture and abandoning an important ally.
"You wanted our leader, Pinarayi Vijayan, to be arrested. In the National Herald case, we supported you. You missed the larger picture and deserted your ally DMK for two ministerial berths," he said.
CPI general secretary D. Raja supported Brittas's arguments and also took exception to Rahul Gandhi's recent statement in Kerala that the "Left is not Left anymore."
According to sources, Rahul defended his remarks, saying he spoke on the basis of facts and citing the Left government's decision to allow the Adani Group's port project in Kerala as evidence.
However, Brittas immediately confronted it, saying that it was the previous Congress-led government under Oommen Chandy that had originally brought the Adani project to Kerala.
Rahul also said that "allegations and counter-allegations are part of local elections."
Sources said other allies, including National Conference leader Omar Abdullah, also stressed the need for better coordination among alliance partners and supported efforts to bring the DMK back into the opposition bloc.
Despite the criticism, Rahul Gandhi struck a conciliatory note in his concluding remarks, said leaders who were present. Rahul said the Congress was willing to accept criticism from its partners and acknowledged the need for stronger coordination within the alliance.
The priority for all opposition parties should be to remain united in the fight against the BJP and work together in the larger interest of the country, he said.
