Leaders from at least 23 opposition parties in India are set to meet in New Delhi on Monday to recalibrate their strategy against the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), as internal strains surface within the INDIA opposition alliance following recent state election setbacks.
The meeting, scheduled for noon at the Constitution Club, comes amid shifting power equations after defeats suffered by key regional players, including the Trinamool Congress (TMC) and the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), in recent assembly polls. The losses have intensified discussions within the bloc over leadership, coordination and the alliance’s future course.
Senior opposition figures expected to attend include Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge, TMC chief Mamata Banerjee and Abhishek Banerjee, Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav, Rashtriya Janata Dal leader Tejashwi Yadav and Uddhav Thackeray of Shiv Sena (UBT), alongside leaders from Left parties and smaller regional groups.
Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said in a post on X on Sunday that 23 parties had confirmed their participation in what he termed the “INDIA janbandhan” meeting, adding that the alliance remained united despite its diversity. He said a few parties had conveyed their inability to attend due to prior commitments but continued to oppose the policies of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government.
Not all constituents of the bloc are expected to be present. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has publicly distanced itself from the alliance, while the DMK has announced it will boycott the meeting after the Congress ended its partnership with the party in Tamil Nadu and aligned with the TVK-led government. TVK, meanwhile, is likely to be formally included in the opposition grouping.
According to news reports, the alliance will discuss its approach on national issues and seek to project unity ahead of upcoming state elections and the 2029 Lok Sabha polls. The recent defeat of the TMC in West Bengal has added urgency to the talks, with the party expected to raise concerns over alleged attacks on its leaders in the state and seek broader support from alliance partners. |
