The Congress has ahead of Monday’s crucial INDIA bloc meeting said that even those parties not attending continue to oppose the Narendra Modi government, emphasising unity at a time the alliance has been hit with desertions and electoral defeats.
A post on X from Congress communications head Jairam Ramesh said “23 political parties have confirmed participation in the INDIA janbandhan meeting at Constitution Club, New Delhi, on Monday June 8, 2026, at 12 noon”.
“There are some parties who have expressed their inability to attend this particular meeting for their own reasons — even though they have conveyed their strong opposition to the Modi Govt’s policies and actions…,” Ramesh
added.
Mamata Banerjee, keen to gain support from INDIA partners after the Bengal election rout, has reached Delhi for the meeting.
She and Trinamool all-India general secretary Abhishek Banerjee on Sunday met Aam Aadmi Party national convener Arvind Kejriwal whose party has, however, quit the alliance and has been targeting the Congress.
The last INDIA meeting took place about two years ago, soon after the April-May 2024 Lok Sabha polls.
Since then, not just the AAP but also the DMK has quit the alliance. And former CPM general secretary Sitaram Yechury — a binding force — has passed away, to be succeeded by M.A. Baby from Kerala where archrivals Left and the Congress have just fought an acrimonious election.
The INDIA parties’ parliamentary leaders have, however, met regularly and coordinated their actions. They have helped defeat a constitutional amendment that sought to tie the implementation of women’s reservation in legislatures to a countrywide redrawing of constituencies expected to favour the BJP.
“Like India, the INDIA janbandhan (peoples’ union) continues to stand united through its diversity,” Ramesh posted.
Shortly after its breakup with the DMK — after the Congress switched support to Tamil Nadu chief minister C. Joseph Vijay’s TVK — the Grand Old Party’s alliance with the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha too had come under pressure over a Rajya Sabha election ticket.
“That has been resolved now, and we will be sending a representative to the INDIA meeting,” JMM general secretary Supriyo Bhattacharya told The Telegraph.
The TVK has yet to announce if it would send a representative.
Trinamool has wholeheartedly welcomed the meeting at a time when it has suffered a split in the Assembly and faces another in Parliament.
Trinamool posted pictures of the meeting between Mamata, Abhishek and Kejriwal and said: “Following a warm interaction, they held an extensive discussion on the road ahead. When the people of India unite, no force on earth can stop their march towards justice, dignity and a better future in 2029.”
Trinamool MP Derek O’Brien posted on X: “Meeting with a common purpose and clear intent. INDIA united. Many parties look forward to meeting in the spirit of camaraderie.”
A post from AAP co-founder Somnath Bharti, however, lambasted the Congress.
“In my considered opinion, @INCIndia seems to be working hand in glove with @BJP4India to weaken regional and smaller parties across the country so that BJP and Cong can rule the county alternately; because of such double standards of @INCIndia, @AamAadmiParty decided to distance itself away from the alliance if the same continues to be headed by @INCIndia,” he said.
The AAP had accused the Congress of a secret pact with the BJP to defeat it in last year’s Delhi Assembly polls. The Congress spent more than thrice of what the AAP did and drew a blank, but the AAP still lost the polls to the BJP.
During Saturday’s Cockroach Janta Party protest, senior Congress functionaries mocked the gathering for its lower-than-expected turnout and linked it to the AAP.
Rajya Sabha MP John Brittas will represent the CPM. The party is yet to receive a reply from the Congress to Baby’s letter, sent on Saturday, questioning the accusations levelled against the CPM by Rahul Gandhi, the leader of the Lok Sabha Opposition, and others in the Congress.
During the April Kerala polls, senior Congress leaders had accused the CPM of an underhand understanding with the BJP — a charge the Marxists denied. The issue is expected to be raised at the meeting.