You are logged in
Loading…
You don’t have any Active Subscription.
Subscribed with another email? Logout and Login with that one.
Your active subscription(s)
Account subscription benefits alongside Premium Stories, Editorials, Opinions and more. Unlock these with Subscription
Products you’ve access to
Additional Subscription Benefits
Account Settings
Need help with your subscription?
June 8, 2026e-Paper
The View From India Looking at World Affairs from the Indian perspective.
First Day First Show News and reviews from the world of cinema and streaming.
Today's Cache Your download of the top 5 technology stories of the day.
Science For All The weekly newsletter from science writers takes the jargon out of science and puts the fun in!
Data Point Decoding the headlines with facts, figures, and numbers
THEdge At the cutting edge of education and careers
Health Matters Ramya Kannan writes to you on getting to good health, and staying there
Gender Agenda Stories from beyond the binary.
The Hindu On Books Books of the week, reviews, excerpts, new titles and features.
June 8, 2026e-Paper
Updated – June 09, 2026 01:34 am IST – New Delhi
Members of INDIA bloc addresse a press conference at Constitution Club of India in New Delhi on June 8, 2026. | Photo Credit: Shashi Shekhar Kashyap
The INDIA bloc will write to the Chief Justice of India, flagging concerns over the special intensive revision (SIR) and the alleged ‘vote loot’. It also demanded the immediate resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, stating that he had “presided over the betrayal of lakhs of youth who appeared for NEET and CBSE exams”.
The Opposition bloc further called on the Union government to convene an all-party meeting to discuss the “current critical economic situation”.
Former West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, fresh from her party’s defeat in the recent Assembly election, detailed her allegations that the mandate had been stolen, and spoke of the post-poll violence.
CJP warns of nationwide agitation if Education Minister Pradhan not removed in seven days
The Congress, which J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah described as the “glue” holding the bloc together, also came under criticism for unceremoniously parting ways with the DMK after the Tamil Nadu election. The Left parties questioned the Congress’s aggressive campaign against the Pinarayi Vijayan government in Kerala, particularly with allegations that it was colluding with the BJP. Several leaders also referred to the recent youth protest at Jantar Mantar under the banner of the Cockroach Janta Party, asking whether it also reflected a growing disillusionment with the Opposition.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge opened the meeting by underlining the Opposition’s united pushback against the now-aborted delimitation legislation. “We demonstrated our solidarity and unity very decisively on April 17, 2026, in the Lok Sabha when we united to defeat the Modi government’s mischievous Bills on delimitation,” he said, adding that the alliance must build on that coordination.
According to sources, the DMK will also be brought on board to sign the joint letter.
Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav cautioned that after the setbacks in West Bengal and Tamil Nadu, defeating the BJP in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly election early next year would be crucial. While acknowledging the Congress’s pan-India presence, he urged it to be “large-hearted” and allow dominant regional parties to take the lead wherever appropriate. According to sources, he also flagged the earlier exit of Janata Dal (United) leader Nitish Kumar, suggesting that the outcome of the 2024 general election might have differed had he stayed.
RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav echoed the criticism, saying that despite warnings about possible cross-voting by Congress MLAs in the recent Rajya Sabha election in Bihar, no action had been taken.
CPI(M) leader John Brittas said Rahul Gandhi, as the face of the INDIA bloc, should have refrained from making unsubstantiated allegations against the Kerala government during the Assembly campaign. He added that the Left had stood by the Congress when the BJP used Central agencies against Opposition parties.
CPI general secretary D. Raja supported these remarks, questioning Mr. Gandhi’s statement that the “Left is not left in Kerala”. Mr. Gandhi responded that he was stating facts. A brief but tense exchange followed.
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray and CPI(ML) general secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya called for a more concrete organisational structure. While Mr. Thackeray said the alliance needed a face and a convener, Mr. Bhattacharya described it as an “idea” that must evolve into an “identity”. Addressing this, Mr. Kharge said the bloc would meet every two months, with the next meeting scheduled in Hyderabad in August. Mr. Kharge also said that daily morning meetings during the Parliament sessions will continue.
Mr. Bhattacharya, Mr. Thackeray, All India Forward Bloc general secretary G. Devarajan and J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah also referred to the Gen Z protests under the Cockroach Janata Party banner, stressing the need to respond. Mr. Thackeray said the mobilisation of youth at Jantar Mantar could reflect the disillusionment with the Opposition, for failing to raise these issues.
Both Mr. Devarajan and Mr. Bhattacharya insisted that the bloc take up livelihood issues. Mr. Bhattacharya pointed out that the Opposition’s communication had a significant lag, citing the example of its narrative on SIR in Bihar, where he said, when the Opposition was talking about SIR, the voters were already talking of post-SIR problems.
The meeting was convened at the insistence of Ms. Banerjee, who sought to project unity after the Bengal defeat. Several leaders expressed solidarity with her, endorsing her claim that the mandate had been “stolen”. She also spoke about post-poll violence and alleged interference by the Election Commission and the Central Armed Police Forces in the electoral process. Calling for a more aggressive response, she invoked Indira Gandhi’s post-1977 outreach in Belchi and urged leaders to visit Bengal. The suggestion, however, did not find favour; instead, leaders chose to focus on writing to the Chief Justice on electoral irregularities.
Mr. Gandhi, speaking at the end, said he “welcomes all the criticism with a smile” and assured that the Congress, as the largest party in the bloc, would work with “love and affection” to keep the alliance united.
Published – June 08, 2026 03:44 pm IST
alliances and coalition / Indian National Congress / All India Trinamool Congress / Samajwadi Party / Shiv Sena-Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray / Communist Party of India -Marxist / Communist Party of India
Copyright© 2026, THG PUBLISHING PVT LTD. or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved.
BACK TO TOP
Terms & conditions | Institutional Subscriber
Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments.
We have migrated to a new commenting platform. If you are already a registered user of The Hindu and logged in, you may continue to engage with our articles. If you do not have an account please register and login to post comments. Users can access their older comments by logging into their accounts on Vuukle.
Leave a Reply