Ahead of the INDIA bloc meeting on June 8, senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh asserted that the opposition alliance stays united despite some parties choosing to opt out of attendance due to their 'respective reasons'. The meeting is crucial for the opposition grouping not only due to the challenge posed by the growing political dominance of the BJP but also due to the differences within.
Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), which has been a staunch pillar of the INDIA Bloc, has decided not to participate in the meeting over 'betrayal' by Congress in Tamil Nadu. Congress contested the polls as part of the DMK-led alliance and won five seats. Congress's decision turned the relationship between the two parties sour.
Meanwhile, Trinamool Congress (TMC) chief Mamata Banerjee on Sunday left for Delhi to take part in the INDIA bloc meeting. TMC leaders Dola Sen and Kalyan Banerjee were also present at the Kolkata airport. The CPI(M) has also conveyed its concern to Congress over the 'systematic campaign' against its leadership during the Keralam assembly polls.
The CPI(M) leader said the INDIA bloc was created as a broad platform to politically fight the BJP and parties with differing ideologies had come together for that purpose. With the bloc navigating the intensifying friction between its own member parties, the coming meeting will likely prove to be pivotal in determining whether the 'INDIA Janbandhan' can bridge its internal divides or if it faces further fragmentation in the face of ongoing political challenges.
