INDIA Bloc Meets in Delhi to Regroup After Poll Setbacks, Chart Strategy Against BJP

Leaders of 23 opposition parties belonging to the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) are set to meet in New Delhi on Monday in a bid to revive the coalition, address internal differences and formulate a strategy to take on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ahead of future electoral battles.

The meeting, scheduled at the Constitution Club, comes amid growing challenges within the opposition camp following the electoral setbacks suffered by the Trinamool Congress (TMC) in West Bengal and the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) in Tamil Nadu. The DMK and the Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) are expected to skip the gathering.

Congress general secretary K. C. Venugopal said the alliance would discuss the country’s political situation, concerns over what the opposition describes as anti-democratic actions by the Centre, and issues affecting students.

“The INDIA alliance meeting is an important meeting. We have to discuss a lot of issues,” Venugopal said.

Mamata Expected to Push for Opposition Unity

TMC chief Mamata Banerjee, who arrived in Delhi on Sunday, is expected to advocate a united opposition strategy for the 2029 Lok Sabha elections, including the possibility of fielding a single opposition candidate against the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in all 543 parliamentary constituencies.

However, Banerjee’s influence within the opposition has come under scrutiny following the TMC’s defeat in the recent West Bengal Assembly election, where the party won only 80 of 294 seats while the BJP secured a dominant victory. The party has since been grappling with internal unrest, with several legislators openly challenging the leadership’s decisions.

On Sunday, Banerjee and TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee met AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal in Delhi. The TMC later said the leaders held extensive discussions on the opposition’s future course.

Opposition Signals Broader Coordination

Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said 23 parties had confirmed participation in the meeting, while some others had conveyed their inability to attend despite remaining opposed to the Narendra Modi government’s policies.

TMC Rajya Sabha leader Derek O’Brien indicated that opposition parties could also discuss approaching the higher judiciary on certain issues after the meeting.

Meanwhile, Communist Party of India leader D. Raja said the meeting’s agenda was not entirely clear and that each constituent party had its own concerns and priorities to raise.

BJP Dismisses Meeting’s Significance

The BJP sought to downplay the importance of the gathering, with party MP Saumitra Khan questioning the TMC’s political relevance after its electoral defeat and criticizing its renewed engagement with the Congress.

Another BJP MP, Manoj Tigga, said the opposition alliance comes together only during elections, crises or after suffering major setbacks, asserting that the INDIA bloc lacks political significance.

The meeting is expected to test whether the opposition can overcome recent setbacks and internal strains to present a more coordinated challenge to the BJP in the run-up to the 2029 general election.