The INDIA bloc is closing ranks around the Congress, but not without reservations

Opposition Lok Sabha Speaker Rahul Gandhi, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, Samajwadi Party MP Akhilesh Yadav, TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee and other members of the Indian National Developmental, Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) address a press conference at the Constitution Club of India in New Delhi on June 8, 2026. | Photo credit: Shashi Shekhar Kashyap

Amid a chorus from the Samajwadi Party (SP), Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and Left parties criticizing the Congress and urging it to be more accommodating to its partners, INDIA’s block meeting on Monday (June 8, 2026) also marked a moment of reluctant acceptance by the Congress against all-central unification.

After the defeat in the West Bengal elections, the Trinamool Congress, which often challenged the leadership of the Congress in the opposition coalition, for the first time talked about a possible alliance between the two parties for the general elections in 2029. In the last Lok Sabha elections, despite several attempts by the Congress, the two parties failed to form an alliance and the Trinamool Congress was unwilling to concede more than two seats to it.

At a meeting on Monday, former West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee warmly embraced Congress Parliamentary Party President Sonia Gandhi. The two were seen talking at length before the meeting began. During her intervention, Ms. Banerjee spoke of allowing the Congress to “lead” as it is the only party with a national presence.

The meeting itself was called at Ms Banerjee’s insistence as she appeared to be seeking support in the wake of her party’s recent setbacks. Trinamool leaders said the Congress did not show “an air of arrogance” during the coordination of the meeting, a stance markedly different from earlier criticism of the party by the Trinamool Congress.

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has described the Congress as the “glue” that holds the INDIA bloc together. PDP leader Mehbooba Mufti also hailed Mr. Gandhi as the only leader who consistently fought against the RSS.

While Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav and RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav emphasized that the dominant regional players should have first claim to the seats in their respective states, they also acknowledged the national reach of the Congress.

Apart from a brief exchange between Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi and CPI(M) leader John Brittas, the meeting was largely free of tense moments. Mr. Gandhi, for his part, struck a conciliatory note and welcomed the criticism.

Assuming a more precisely defined leadership role, he stressed that as the largest party in the bloc, the Congress would work to unite all opposition parties with “love and affection”. His remarks were widely seen as perceptive. “You should trust us. We are determined to fight the BJP and the RSS. And there will be no compromises,” Mr Gandhi said in his closing remarks.

Published – 08 Jun 2026 22:20 IST