INDIA bloc meeting: TVK not invited, DMK's absence sparks debate
What's the story
The Tamil Nadu-based Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) party has not received an invitation to the opposition Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) bloc meeting in New Delhi on Monday. The meeting will be held at Delhi's Constitution Club and is expected to see representatives from 23 political parties. The Congress party, which is allied with the TVK in Tamil Nadu, has said that parties without Members of Parliament (MPs) are not invited to attend this meeting.
Party status
TVK offers lone Rajya Sabha seat to Congress
Currently, the TVK does not have any MPs. After the recent Assembly election results, it offered its lone vacant Rajya Sabha seat to the Congress in Tamil Nadu. The INDIA bloc meeting aims to recalibrate strategy and project unity after the recent assembly election setbacks. Top opposition leaders, including Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge from Congress, Mamata Banerjee and Abhishek Banerjee from Trinamool Congress (TMC), and Akhilesh Yadav from Samajwadi Party (SP), will attend this meeting.
Political fallout
War of words erupts between BJP and TVK
However, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), Congress's pre-poll ally in Tamil Nadu, has decided to skip this meeting. The DMK's decision comes over alleged betrayal by Congress. A war of words has broken out between the TVK and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) over this decision. VMS Mustafa, a TVK MLA from Madurai Central, questioned the DMK's absence from the meeting and accused former Chief Minister Stalin of colluding with RSS.
Counter-accusation
BJP leader slams INDIA bloc, accuses them of 'fooling people'
BJP leader Vinoj P Selvam slammed the INDIA bloc and questioned how it continued to blame other parties despite repeated setbacks. He said, "All the INDIA bloc leaders are trying to do is fool the people of the country." The DMK had earlier accused Congress of "betrayal" and "backstabbing," vowing not to attend future INDIA bloc meetings.