The MK Stalin-led DMK has decided to stay away from the proposed INDIA bloc meeting scheduled in New Delhi on June 8, as the rupture in its ties with Congress, triggered by the dramatic political realignment in Tamil Nadu after the Assembly elections, has now widened.
The fallout follows the Congress's decision to back actor Vijay's TVK in forming the government in Tamil Nadu despite being a long-standing ally of the DMK. The move triggered sharp reactions from DMK leaders, who publicly accused the Congress of "betrayal" and "backstabbing", arguing that the party abandoned a decades-old partnership for political expediency.
"We wanted to stay away from a meeting in which the Congress is participating. Congress betrayed and backstabbed us. Our cadre is deeply upset and angry. Respecting their sentiments, the leadership has decided not to participate in the INDIA alliance meeting where Congress is a constituent," party spokesperson Saravanan Annadurai said.
However, he added,"In the national interest, we will consider the issues raised at the meeting, as other parties in the bloc share our vision for the nation’s development and welfare."
The Congress-DMK rift has already spilled over into Parliament. In a significant indication of the breakdown in ties, DMK MP Kanimozhi recently wrote to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla seeking separate seating arrangements for DMK MPs, citing "changed political circumstances" after the split with the Congress. The move was widely viewed as the first formal manifestation of the fracture within the INDIA bloc.
Senior leaders of the opposition INDIA bloc are expected to meet in the national capital on June 8 to discuss their joint strategy against the BJP-led NDA government and reinforce opposition coordination ahead of key political battles.
The meeting, likely to be held at the Constitution Club, is expected to bring together representatives from around 15 opposition parties. It comes in the backdrop of recent Assembly election setbacks for two major INDIA bloc constituents, the Trinamool Congress in West Bengal and the DMK in Tamil Nadu.
Meanwhile, former West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee and Trinamool general secretary Abhishek Banerjee are likely to attend the crucial opposition meeting, even as the party grapples with unprecedented internal turmoil, with a majority of its MLAs rebelling against the leadership. Banerjee is also likely to raise the issue of alleged attacks on TMC leaders and seek support from INDIA bloc constituents on the matter.
Among the other leaders likely to attend are Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray, Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, sources said.
The Aam Aadmi Party has already publicly distanced itself from the INDIA bloc and is not expected to attend the meeting.
According to sources, the gathering is being seen as an attempt to deepen coordination among opposition parties amid evolving political equations across states and renewed concerns within the alliance after the recent electoral setbacks.
The last official meeting of the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) was held in New Delhi on June 1, 2024, ahead of the Lok Sabha elections.
Subsequently, on August 7, 2025, Rahul Gandhi hosted a strategy dinner for senior INDIA bloc leaders at his New Delhi residence. The meeting, attended by nearly 50 leaders from over 25 opposition parties, focused on issues including alleged electoral manipulation and the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter rolls in Bihar.
Since then, INDIA bloc leaders have coordinated mainly during consultations ahead of Parliament sessions, discussing floor strategy and issues to jointly raise against the Centre, including attempts to move notices seeking the removal of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
Source: India Today