Ex-Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee has called for a meeting of the INDIA bloc – the anti-BJP coalition that has struggled for relevance and traction since it was formed in July 2023.
The call comes after her Trinamool Congress suffered a heavy defeat in the April Bengal Assembly election; the party won just 80 seats compared to 215 in the election prior and Mamata Banerjee lost her seat – the Bhabanipur bastion – to aide-turned-rival Suvendu Adhikari.
Shock Bengal Defeat Forces Reset
The defeat was a seismic political shock; the fiery Trinamool leader had held the Bharatiya Janata Party and its saffron wave at bay for nearly 15 years, overcoming shrill and increasingly bitter election campaigns to win back-to-back Assembly and federal elections in the state.
But now it appears her 2026 election setback has her seeking support from Delhi – specifically from the Congress – to revive political fortunes. The outreach has raised some eyebrows given the peevish relationship between the two parties despite being, theoretically, on the same side.
However, when NDTV reached out to the Congress, a source in the party’s media department remarked, “I have no idea”, though the same source earlier said INDIA might meet in June.
NDTV also reached out to the Samajwadi Party, another INDIA bloc member, but was told – rather confusingly – that it had no knowledge of such developments. There was a caveat; if Banerjee contacted party boss Akhilesh Yadav directly, a June meeting may be on the books.
Either way, it seems no one within the Samajwadi Party or the Congress has much information, or is willing to reveal it if they have it. Perhaps the reason is simply that Banerjee only called for the meet today and it will take time for other members to weigh in with their opinions.
Congress-Trinamool Equation Still Uneasy
Should the Congress and Trinamool meet, as ‘allies’, it will be against an uncomfortable backdrop in which Rahul Gandhi lashed out at the Trinamool in a Bengal election rally.
But then Gandhi also comforted Banerjee after the election loss; he declared the Trinamool had won 100 seats fewer because of ‘vote theft’ by the BJP and Election Commission.
Over the past few months the Congress and other opposition parties have repeatedly accused their rival and the poll body of colluding to win elections, with furore over the special intensive revision of voter lists – an exercise mandated by the EC to remove illegal voters from rolls but which the opposition says is designed to cut its support base – adding to that controversy.
All this adds up to a rather chaotic picture within the INDIA ranks.
Rahul Gandhi’s message of support for Mamata Banerjee was welcomed but the relationship between their parties – or rather, the Trinamool and INDIA – remains volatile and characterised by an on-again-off-again dynamic, which is the case between the Congress-led bloc and almost every other member-party.
The Congress-DMK fallout in Tamil Nadu – over the former breaking from the latter’s side to support Vijay’s TVK in forming the government – underlines that discord.
DMK Rift Adds Fresh Complications
The Trinamool did, however, participate in the most recent INDIA meeting; this had been convened to discuss the issue of the women’s reservation bill in Parliament.
The Congress has consistently maintained the INDIA bloc should be distinct from state-level politics; for instance, while the party contests against Left parties in Kerala, it remains an integral part of the group. And this principle applies to the Trinamool and Samajwadi Party.
In fact, Akhilesh Yadav even travelled to Kolkata to demonstrate his solidarity with Mamata Banerjee. It is widely expected the Congress and Samajwadi will contest the upcoming Uttar Pradesh Assembly election jointly.
Within the bloc, the Samajwadi Party is the second largest after the Congress, followed by the Trinamool, and the DMK.
However, a complication has arisen.
After the post-poll rift in Tamil Nadu, the DMK has requested separate seating arrangements in the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, thereby distancing itself from the Congress. It now remains to be seen if the DMK will remain part of the INDIA bloc.
Nevertheless, given the appeal by Banerjee – and should others succeed in persuading the DMK to remain – a resolution may well be found.
Incidentally, during the tenure of ex-prime minister and senior BJP leader Atal Bihari Vajpayee, the DMK had been a constituent of the saffron party-led National Democratic Alliance.
Questions Over INDIA’s Future
Furthermore, the TVK could also join INDIA, given they are allied with the Congress.
They currently do not have a Member of Parliament but a Rajya Sabha by-election is scheduled in Tamil Nadu next month, through which they might secure a seat.
All in all, regarding INDIA, a state of confusion persists.
While the constituent parties know they need the Congress’ support, they also have apprehensions over its reluctance to cede ground in states. The one factor capable of holding INDIA together is fear of the BJP. To counter the BJP, they will inevitably need the Congress.
This is the point Banerjee articulated. INDIA meetings are frequently convened to maintain opposition unity in Parliament – gatherings in which the Aam Aadmi Party also participates.
In the last session the Biju Janata Dal also joined.
Nevertheless, it remains to be seen how the Congress, Samajwadi Party, and DMK respond to Banerjee’s initiative, and if a meeting takes place in June.