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The question is if parties with different state-level interests can function as one political platform when the issue moves from protest to coordinated parliamentary action
The immediate test of the INDIA bloc is whether the parties that do attend can agree on a common programme. (X)
The INDIA bloc will meet in Delhi on Wednesday to chalk out a joint strategy on the Election Commission, the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and a possible move to seek the removal of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
But, even as opposition parties seek to project a united front against the poll panel, several important pieces of the bloc will be missing from the table.
The absence of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and DMK, along with Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav’s decision to stay away, has put the focus on a larger question—how much common ground does the INDIA bloc still have beyond specific issues?
Who Is Missing From INDIA Bloc Meeting?
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has said it will not attend the meeting. AAP Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh has, however, said the party would support an opposition motion seeking the removal of Kumar if such a proposal is brought in Parliament. This means AAP’s position on the EC issue is closer to that of the bloc, even though it is staying away from the meeting.
The DMK has also decided to skip the meeting. Party spokesperson TKS Elangovan has said the party no longer considers itself part of the alliance after Congress’s post-assembly election differences with it and its decision to back actor Vijay’s TVK in Tamil Nadu. At the same time, the DMK has maintained that it remains ideologically opposed to the BJP.
Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav is also not attending personally. The party has cited his pre-scheduled political engagements and preparations linked to the Rajya Sabha elections in Uttar Pradesh. The SP is, however, sending a representative to the meeting. Yadav’s absence comes at a time when Congress and SP are yet to settle their seat-sharing formula for the 2027 Uttar Pradesh assembly election.
According to reports, Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray is also not expected to be physically present, but is set to participate virtually.
So, technically, the picture is more complicated than simply saying that opposition parties are “boycotting” the meeting. Some parties are absent from the meeting but support the immediate issue being discussed.
The AAP Example Is Important
AAP’s position perhaps best illustrates the INDIA bloc’s current problem.
The party is staying away from the meeting but has indicated that it would support a parliamentary move against Kumar. In other words, there can be agreement on an issue without agreement on the alliance platform itself.
That distinction matters because the meeting is not only about the EC. Opposition parties are also expected to discuss a broader agitation over SIR, EVMs and VVPAT, besides the proposed removal motion against the CEC.
The Congress-SP Equation
Akhilesh Yadav’s absence is particularly significant because Uttar Pradesh is expected to be one of the most important electoral battlegrounds for the Opposition.
Congress and SP have said they intend to work together in the state, but their seat-sharing negotiations for the 2027 assembly election remain unresolved. Reports have highlighted differences over the number of seats Congress wants to contest and the timing and terms of negotiations.
Congress has said Yadav’s absence is linked to his prior engagements and Rajya Sabha election preparations. The SP is sending a representative, so his absence by itself does not mean the party has walked away from the bloc.
But politically, it comes at a sensitive time—the same parties that need to coordinate nationally over the EC are also negotiating their own electoral equations in Uttar Pradesh.
Congress And DMK: A More Direct Breakdown
The DMK’s absence is different. Unlike the SP, the DMK has explicitly said it no longer considers itself part of the INDIA bloc following its breakdown with Congress in Tamil Nadu. The party has nevertheless said it remains ideologically opposed to the BJP.
That creates another distinction: being part of the broader Opposition against the BJP does not necessarily mean remaining part of the INDIA bloc’s organisational structure.
The Tamil Nadu equation has therefore become a state-level issue that is affecting the national opposition platform.
Why Today’s Meeting Matters
The immediate test is whether the parties that do attend can agree on a common programme.
The proposed agenda includes a possible parliamentary motion seeking the removal of Kumar, opposition coordination on the SIR exercise, EVM and VVPAT-related concerns, a joint public campaign or nationwide agitation, and the extent to which different opposition parties will participate in that campaign.
The Congress has already adopted a separate resolution demanding the CEC’s resignation, suspension of SIR in several states and restoration of names removed from electoral rolls.
The INDIA bloc meeting therefore has to convert Congress’s position into a broader opposition strategy, something that requires agreement from parties whose political interests do not always overlap.
The Challenge
The INDIA bloc’s current situation is not simply one of parties being for or against the Opposition.
There are at least three layers at work:
1. Issue-Based Unity: Several parties, including those not attending the meeting, have expressed opposition to the Election Commission’s handling of the issues under discussion or indicated support for action against the CEC.
2. Alliance-Level Differences: AAP and DMK are not participating in the meeting, while the SP-Congress relationship remains tied to unresolved negotiations in Uttar Pradesh.
3. State-Level Priorities: Congress’s relationship with regional parties is increasingly shaped by state-specific electoral calculations—from Uttar Pradesh to Tamil Nadu—even when those parties share a common position against the BJP on a national issue.
That makes Wednesday’s meeting significant for a reason beyond the EC row.
The question is not only whether the Opposition can agree on Gyanesh Kumar or SIR. It is whether parties with different state-level interests can still function as one political platform when the issue moves from protest to coordinated parliamentary and electoral action.
Quick Answers
Ask News18The INDIA bloc meeting in Delhi on Wednesday, September 30, 2026, focuses on formulating a joint strategy regarding the Election Commission, the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, EVMs, VVPATs, and a proposed parliamentary motion to seek the removal of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
Ask News18About the Author
Apoorva Misra is an Associate Editor at News18.com with a keen interest in politics and current affairs. She loves uncovering fresh angles and telling stories through long-form features and explainers…Read More
September 30, 2026, 08:21 IST
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