Additionally, leaders gathered at Constitution Club in the national capital. Congress Parliamentary Party chief Sonia Gandhi attended. Rahul Gandhi also joined her. Besides them, party president Mallikarjun Kharge joined the discussion.
Big Names Join, Akhilesh Calls For Bandhu-Raj
Furthermore, TMC chief Mamata Banerjee attended. Abhishek Banerjee also joined. Also, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav arrived for discussions. RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav joined too. Then, Shiv Sena UBT leader Uddhav Thackeray attended with top figures from 23 opposition parties. Moreover, Supriya Sule represented NCP-SP. Omar Abdullah joined from NC, while Mehbooba Mufti attended for PDP.
Before entering, Akhilesh said leaders would know agenda after reaching venue. However, he added, “Bandhu-raj should emerge, and we will try for that.” Then, Akhilesh said, “You can see events in Uttar Pradesh.” He added, “Now even women feel angry with them. Therefore, we must protect democratic values.”
Pawar Absence, DMK Concern, And Poster Row
However, NCP-SP leader Sharad Pawar did not attend. Instead, daughter and MP Supriya Sule represented Pawar’s side at this meeting. Regarding the meeting, Pawar said many national parties had begun coming together in India. He said BJP holds power under Narendra Modi. Meanwhile, he added that people who dislike this leadership have come together. Therefore, Pawar said they would invite well-known people and find a solution.
On DMK’s absence, Pawar said, “DMK will not attend this meeting.” He added, “This causes serious concern. We must take all allies along.” Meanwhile, several Delhi roundabouts displayed posters against Congress and Rahul Gandhi, Lok Sabha’s Leader of Opposition. Additionally, the posters used older remarks by opposition leaders about Rahul and Congress. They cited Sharad Pawar from NCP-SCP. Another section mentioned Mamata Banerjee from TMC. Then, another line featured DMK leader Udhayanidhi Stalin and AAP convener Arvind Kejriwal.
Jairam Ramesh Confirms Wider Attendance
Earlier, on Sunday, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said 23 parties would join. He identified the forum as Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance, or INDIA. He said some political parties had expressed inability due to individual reasons. However, key allies DMK and AAP did not attend. Moreover, AAP had publicly distanced itself from the alliance earlier. Meanwhile, DMK felt upset because Congress ended ties with it in Tamil Nadu and joined a TVK-led government.
Finally, meeting focused on future strategy, upcoming state elections, and 2029 Lok Sabha contest. Leaders also aimed to challenge the Modi government through a united front on national issues. Previously, INDIA bloc held its last official meeting in June 2024. However, TMC’s heavy defeat in West Bengal pushed the opposition alliance toward unity against BJP.
