DMK to skip INDIA bloc meet after fallout with Congress

The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) on Thursday announced that it will not participate in the INDIA alliance meeting scheduled to be held in New Delhi on June 8, citing concerns over what it described as a “betrayal” by the Congress party following the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly elections."In view of the sentiments of DMK cadres, who continue to feel deeply hurt by what they consider the betrayal committed by the Congress party against the DMK following the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly elections, and in respect of those sentiments, the DMK will not participate in the INDIA alliance meeting to be held in New Delhi on June 8, particularly as it is a meeting in which the Congress party will be taking part," the party said. The move triggered sharp reactions from DMK leaders, who publicly accused the Congress of "betrayal" and "backstabbing", arguing that the party abandoned a decades-old partnership for political expediency.
Senior leaders of the opposition INDIA bloc are expected to meet in the national capital on June 8 to discuss their joint strategy against the BJP-led NDA government and reinforce opposition coordination ahead of key political battles. The meeting is expected to bring together representatives from around 15 opposition parties. The Aam Aadmi Party has already publicly distanced itself from the INDIA bloc and is not expected to attend the meeting. The gathering is being seen as an effort to deepen coordination among opposition parties, particularly after the recent round of assembly elections and amid evolving political equations in several states.