Mamata Banerjee leaves for Delhi to take part in INDIA bloc meeting
Kolkata, June 7
TMC chief Mamata Banerjee on Sunday left for Delhi to take part in the INDIA bloc meeting scheduled for June 8.
TMC leaders Dola Sen and Kalyan Banerjee were also present at the Kolkata airport.
This is the first meeting of the INDIA bloc after the Trinamool Congress lost the West Bengal assembly polls.
The meeting is crucial for the opposition grouping not only due to the challenge posed by the growing political dominance of BJP but also due to the differences within.
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 which decided to back the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) after the elections.
Congress contested the polls as part of the DMK-led alliance and won five seats.
After the BJP's sweeping victory in West Bengal, the Trinamool Congress has also faced internal dissent.
The CPI(M) has conveyed its concern to Congress over the "systematic campaign" against its leadership during the Keralam assembly polls but the party has decided that John Brittas, MP, will attend the INDIA bloc meeting scheduled to take place on Monday.
CPI(M) general secretary MA Baby has written to Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge seeking clarification over allegations made by Congress leaders during the Keralam Assembly elections against the party and its leadership.
In the letter, Baby said he had been informed by Congress general secretary KC Venugopal about the INDIA bloc meeting scheduled for June 8 and raised concerns over what he described as a "systematic campaign" by the Congress leadership in Keralam that alleged that the CPI(M) and the BJP had struck a deal.
He stated that Congress leaders, including Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi and Kharge himself, had repeatedly alleged during the election campaign that senior CPI(M) leader and then Keralam Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had reached an understanding with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
"I have been informed by KC Venugopal about the meeting of the INDIA bloc parties to be held on June 8, 2026. In this connection, I would like to cite a recent political development during the assembly elections. There was a systematic campaign by the Congress leadership during the Keralam Assembly elections, that the CPI(M) and the BJP have struck a deal," MA Baby said.
"Further, it was alleged that the CPI(M)'s senior leader, Member of the Polit Bureau and then Chief Minister, Comrade Pinarayi Vijayan, had also struck a deal with Modi. The question was posed 'Otherwise, why is it that he has not been interrogated or arrested by the Enforcement Directorate'?These were not stray remarks made in the heat of an election campaign, but was the centerpiece of your political campaign. Every national leader, Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi, and yourself, made such allegations repeatedly," he added.
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.
— ANI
Reader Comments
It's ironic how an alliance formed to take down the BJP is now busy fighting internal battles. Mamata Banerjee is a strong leader, but even she can't fix this chaos. If they can't agree on small things, how will they challenge a national force like the BJP?
Honestly, Mamata di leaving for Delhi itself is a big message. But yeh CPI(M) ka allegation that Congress said they are hand-in-glove with BJP — that's serious! 😳 If coalition partners can't trust each other, what's the point? Need some real consolidation, not just photo ops.
It feels like everyone is just going through the motions. The INDIA bloc was supposed to be a grand opposition, but cracks are showing even before they've achieved anything concrete. Respectfully, they need to sort out their internal issues first before taking on the ruling party.
West Bengal mein TMC ka performance kharab tha, Kerala mein Congress aur CPI(M) ki aapas ki ladai — aur Tamil Nadu mein DMK upset. INDIA bloc ka toh jaisa naach naache, sab fail. 😅 Sincere effort chahiye, warna BJP ke saamne koi khada nahi ho paayega.
Watching from the US, it's fascinating and frustrating. The opposition has all the ingredients to be a strong counterweight, but they keep tripping over each other. Mamata Banerjee is a formidable politician, but even she can't force unity where there's none. I hope they find common ground.
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.