A total of 23 political parties of the opposition Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) will meet in New Delhi on Monday to revive the grouping amid differences among the constituents and the recent drubbing of the Trinamool Congress (TMC) and the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) in the West Bengal and Tamil Nadu assembly elections, respectively, and to redraw their strategy to take on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
The DMK and the Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) are set to skip the meeting, which is scheduled at the Constitution Club around noon.
Congress general secretary (Organisation) KC Venugopal said the agenda will be revealed after the meeting. “We are discussing the current political situation in the country. The way in which the Government of India is bulldozing anti-democratic attitudes, and the issue of students. We have to discuss a lot of issues in this meeting. The INDIA alliance meeting is an important meeting.”
TMC chief and former West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee arrived in the Capital on Sunday to attend the meeting, where she is expected to suggest a united contest against the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) by fielding one candidate each in all 543 seats in the 2029 Lok Sabha elections, an opposition functionary said.
Banerjee’s political clout, however, has taken a hit after the recent poll loss in the state assembly elections, where the TMC could win only 80 of the 294 seats, against the BJP, which won 207 seats. Following the May 4 poll results, the TMC has witnessed internal turmoil, with 58 of its MLAs going against the party decision to appoint their own leader of opposition in the assembly. The party might be staring at a similar split among its parliamentarians.
On Sunday, Banerjee and her nephew and TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee met AAP chief Kejriwal in Delhi. “Following a warm interaction, they held an extensive discussion on the road ahead. When the people of India unite, no force on earth can stop their march towards justice, dignity and a better future in 2029,” the TMC said in a post on X.
TMC’s Rajya Sabha leader Derek O’Brien said that among other things, the Opposition might make an appeal to the higher judiciary after the meeting. “Many of the parties in the Opposition are contemplating to appeal to the conscience of the judiciary,” he said.
