DMK supremo MK Stalin and Congress MP Rahul Gandhi (File photo)
NEW DELHI: The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) on Thursday announced that it will not participate in the INDIA bloc meeting scheduled to take place in the national capital on June 8.The MK Stalin-led party, which was voted out of power after a single term in the recently held Tamil Nadu assembly elections, said it will not attend the meeting because of the Congress.”The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam will not participate in the “India” alliance meeting in Delhi on June 8th, where the Congress is taking part! At the same time – on issues raised by other parties included in this meeting that harm the nation’s welfare, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam will always raise its voice,” it shared on its X handle. The two parties had fought the polls as allies. However, the Congress later joined hands with actor-turned-politician Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), which now governs Tamil Nadu.Also Read: INDIA bloc cracks as Congress snaps 11-year-old DMK tiesThe DMK’s move had been widely anticipated, as it had already announced a break in ties following the Congress’ alliance with TVK.The upcoming meeting of the INDIA bloc, the Congress-led opposition alliance, will be its first in several months. It will be held in the backdrop of the recent assembly elections in four states, including Tamil Nadu, and the Union territory of Puducherry. The results strengthened the BJP and dealt a setback to the opposition, although the Congress secured a victory in Kerala for the first time in 10 years and is now part of the government in Tamil Nadu for the first time in almost 60 years. Also Read: Winds of change in West Bengal, Tamil Nadu may steady NDA’s ship in ParliamentThe INDIA bloc was formed in July 2023 ahead of the Lok Sabha elections the following year with the aim of preventing the BJP from winning a third consecutive term. While the BJP went on to secure a third term, it lost its parliamentary majority for the first time since 2014.Together, the INDIA members hold 234 seats in the 543-member Lok Sabha. With 22 MPs, the DMK is the fourth-largest constituent of the alliance, after the Congress (99), the Samajwadi Party (37), and the Trinamool Congress (29).
