Are Cracks Emerging in the INDIA Bloc as Key Allies Skip Delhi Meet?

Synopsis
The INDIA Bloc is facing internal divisions as key allies, notably the AAP and NCP-SP, skip a crucial meeting. This raises concerns about their unity amidst pressing demands for a special parliamentary session following national security incidents.
Key Takeaways
- INDIA Bloc faces internal divisions.
- AAP and NCP-SP absent from crucial meeting.
- Demand for a special parliamentary session escalates.
- Political tensions with Congress are evident.
- Unity among opposition parties is critical.
New Delhi, June 3 (NationPress) Signs of discord within the INDIA Bloc surfaced on Tuesday when several prominent allies, including the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Nationalist Congress Party led by Sharad Pawar (NCP-SP), opted not to attend a significant opposition meeting at Delhi’s Constitution Club.
The assembly was organized to address the collective demand for a special session of Parliament following the Pahalgam terror attack and Operation Sindoor.
While 16 opposition factions jointly signed a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi advocating for a special session, the absence of some signatories at the meeting raised doubts about their internal unity.
Trinamool Congress MP Derek O’Brien confirmed that AAP had decided against attending, although they had separately communicated with the Prime Minister to support the call for a special session.
Sources indicate that AAP’s choice to abstain was due to their hesitation to share the platform with the Congress, a party with which they have experienced a rocky relationship in recent months.
Leaders from the Left parties, who are also signatories of the joint letter, similarly missed the meeting. Their absence is believed to be connected to the participation of Trinamool Congress members, given their contentious political history in West Bengal.
Sharad Pawar, leader of the NCP (SP), had already distanced himself from the call for a special session, publicly expressing his opposition to discussing delicate national security matters like Operation Sindoor and the Pahalgam attack in an open parliamentary setting.
Nonetheless, the meeting featured inputs from senior leaders such as Derek O’Brien (TMC), Jairam Ramesh (Congress), Ram Gopal Yadav (SP), Deepender Singh Hooda (Congress), Manoj Jha (RJD), and Sanjay Raut (Shiv Sena UBT).
The letter addressed to Prime Minister Modi was signed by Congress, SP, TMC, DMK, Shiv Sena (UBT), RJD, J&K National Conference, CPI(M), IUML, CPI, RSP, JMM, VCK, Kerala Congress, MDMK, and CPI(ML), as highlighted by Trinamool MP Derek O’Brien.
Previously, over 200 Lok Sabha MPs had also signed a letter urging the Prime Minister to call for a special session to discuss the Pahalgam terror attack and the government’s subsequent response via Operation Sindoor.
Top opposition figures, including Rahul Gandhi and Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, had sent individual letters to the Prime Minister reiterating the same request.