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    EYE ON INDIA                                                             JUNE 19, 2026     |  The Indian Eye                    8

                       INDIA Bloc Faces Challenge of

              Unity Amid Internal Contradictions

             As opposition parties seek to sharpen their attack on the Modi government over economic and electoral

                  issues, questions about cohesion within the INDIA alliance continue to pose a major challenge.

            OUR BUREAU                                                                                            Abhishek Banerjee in legal matters.
                                                                                                                      The tensions have been accom-
            New Delhi / Kolkata
                                                                                                                  panied by a series of resignations
                  he INDIA bloc has sought                                                                        from the Rajya Sabha. TMC MP
                  to project renewed unity by                                                                     Prakash Chik Baraik resigned from
            Tadopting a common strategy                                                                           the Upper House, becoming the
            on issues ranging from the economy                                                                    third party MP to step down with-
            and unemployment to electoral re-                                                                     in a week after Sushmita Dev and
            forms and parliamentary coordina-                                                                     Sukhendu Sekhar Ray.
            tion. However, developments within
            some of its key constituent parties,                                                                  Kunal Ghosh criticised the
            particularly the Trinamool Congress
            (TMC), as well as continued criticism                                                                 rebellion and defended the
            from rivals, underline the challenge                                                                  party leadership. “What has
            of maintaining cohesion within the
            diverse opposition alliance.                                                                          happened is not  right.  These
                At a meeting attended by lead-                                                                    people  won  on  the  TMC  sym-
            ers of 23 opposition parties in New
            Delhi, the Indian National Develop-                                                                   bol, and these people should
            mental  Inclusive  Alliance  (INDIA)                                                                  be asked to go to party offices
            attempted to present a united front
            against the Narendra Modi-led gov-  Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge addresses the media after the INDIA bloc meeting at   in their respective constituen-
            ernment. Congress president Mal-                                                                      cies and face the TMC workers
            likarjun Kharge said the alliance had   the Constitution Club of India, in New Delhi on Monday. Lok Sabha LoP Rahul Gandhi, TMC
            unanimously  agreed  on  five  broad   Chief Mamata Banerjee, and other leaders also present. (ANI Photo/Naveen Sharma)  there,” he said.
            points and would immediately begin
            coordinated action.               tinue parliamentary strategy meet-  assure  party  workers  and  alliance   The difficulties faced by the IN-
                Among the key decisions was   ings throughout the upcoming Mon-  partners that the party remained   DIA bloc are not limited to internal
            a joint move to write to the Chief   soon Session to ensure coordination   committed to both organisational   disputes within constituent parties.
            Justice  of  India  regarding  concerns   on legislative and political issues.  stability and opposition unity.  The alliance also faces persistent
            related to the Special Intensive Re-  In his opening remarks, Kharge    “We  have  to  further  strength-  criticism from the ruling NDA and its
            vision (SIR) of electoral rolls, al-  emphasised the need for greater uni-  en the INDIA bloc. Congress and   allies, who argue that opposition par-
            leged vote manipulation and what   ty among alliance partners. He urged   TMC will work unitedly against the   ties lack a common agenda beyond
            opposition leaders described as the   opposition parties to intensify collec-  BJP and the Central government and   opposing Prime Minister Narendra
            “stealing of elections.” The alliance   tive efforts against what he described   their anti-people policies,” Ghosh   Modi.
            also demanded the resignation of   as political, economic, social and for-  said.                         Janata  Dal  (United)  MP  and
            the Union Education Minister over   eign policy challenges confronting   His remarks came amid growing   National Working President Sanjay
            examination-related issues affecting   the country.                 turmoil within the Trinamool Con-  Kumar Jha launched a sharp attack
            students and their families.          Kharge pointed to the alliance’s   gress. The party has been hit by mul-  on the opposition grouping, claiming
                The opposition grouping further   performance in Parliament on April   tiple resignations, allegations of fac-  that it was driven by individual inter-
            called on the Union government to   17,  2026,  when  opposition  parties   tionalism and public disagreements   ests rather than a coherent national
            convene an all-party meeting to dis-  united to oppose and defeat the Cen-  among senior leaders.     programme.
            cuss  what  it  described  as  the  coun-  tre’s proposed delimitation-related   The  latest  controversy  erupted   “The INDIA alliance is not an
            try’s precarious economic situation,   legislation in the Lok Sabha. He ar-  after senior TMC MP and advocate   alliance  at  all.  In  their  alliance, ev-
            rising   unemployment,   inflation,   gued that the bloc should build on   Kalyan Banerjee publicly criticised   eryone speaks and fights against each
            farmers’ concerns and issues affect-  that success and continue working   the party’s national general secretary   other,” Jha said.
            ing marginalised communities.     together in the months ahead.     Abhishek Banerjee and accused him     According to him, the alliance
                Perhaps  most  significantly,  the   Yet even as the INDIA bloc dis-  of displaying an “arrogant attitude.”   has been rejected by the public be-
            alliance decided to institutionalise   cussed strengthening coordination,   Kalyan Banerjee also reportedly is-  cause it has “no agenda for the coun-
            regular consultations among mem-  one of its most important constitu-  sued an ultimatum to party chief   try” and exists primarily to  oppose
            ber parties. Meetings will now be   ents was grappling with internal tur-  Mamata Banerjee, asking her to   the NDA and Prime Minister Modi.
            held every two months, with the next   bulence.                     choose between him and her nephew     For the INDIA bloc, therefore,
            gathering scheduled in Hyderabad in   In West Bengal, senior TMC    Abhishek Banerjee, while announc-  the central challenge remains balanc-
            August. The bloc also agreed to con-  leader Kunal Ghosh sought to re-  ing that he would no longer represent   ing diversity with unity.

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