The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) on Friday, 5 June announced it would not attend the INDIA bloc meeting scheduled for 8 June, citing deep resentment within the party over what it called a Congress 'betrayal' following the recent Tamil Nadu Assembly elections. The decision has handed the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) fresh ammunition to declare the Opposition alliance effectively defunct.

BJP's Verdict on the Alliance

BJP leader Syed Shahnawaz Hussain said the INDIA bloc had already collapsed, pointing to a string of earlier departures. 'The INDIA bloc has already ended. When it was formed, Nitish Kumar left. After that, Mamata Banerjee contested separately, the Communist Party members contested separately, and Arvind Kejriwal had also contested separately,' he said.

Hussain added that the grouping exists 'just for the sake of saying so,' arguing its members 'only come together out of jealousy towards the BJP and later end up fighting among themselves.' He further remarked that 'the alliance partners themselves do not trust the Congress.'

BJP MP Manan Kumar Mishra said the DMK had 'realised it a little late — what Rahul Gandhi is and what Congress is,' accusing the party of 'double standards' that have left it 'almost wiped out from the entire country.' BJP leader Prakash Reddy echoed the view, saying 'the existence of INDIA bloc is now doubtful,' and attributed the situation to what he described as Rahul Gandhi's 'inefficiency and immature political strategies.'

Why DMK Pulled Back

The DMK stated it had received an invitation to the 8 June meeting but chose to stay away 'in deference to the sentiments of its cadre,' who remain, according to the party, deeply hurt by the Congress's conduct after the Tamil Nadu Assembly polls. The party has characterised the Congress's move — reportedly aligning with the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) — as a direct betrayal of its oldest alliance partner in the state.

INDIA Bloc Allies Push Back

Shiv Sena-UBT leader Sanjay Raut insisted the INDIA bloc remains 'still intact,' though he acknowledged the DMK's frustration. 'DMK should have been patient. According to what the situation was in Tamil Nadu, Congress did not have any other option,' he said, suggesting the Congress had little choice but to side with the TVK.

Congress MP Pramod Tiwari sought to reframe the issue, arguing that the DMK's primary grievance has always been the delimitation question and its opposition to the BJP-led government's proposals on that front. He downplayed speculation about attendance, saying there was 'no need for speculation' over who would or would not come.

MDMK Principal Secretary Durai Vaiko distanced his party from the DMK's position, confirming MDMK remains part of the INDIA bloc. Jammu and Kashmir National Conference (JKNC) President Farooq Abdullah also confirmed his party's representation at the 8 June meeting.

What This Signals

This comes amid a broader pattern of friction within the INDIA bloc since the 2024 general elections, with constituent parties increasingly pursuing independent state-level strategies that cut across alliance lines. The DMK's move is notably the first time a founding Southern anchor of the bloc has publicly distanced itself from a scheduled alliance meeting. Whether the 8 June gathering can produce a unified political line — or merely confirm the alliance's growing fragmentation — will be closely watched.