DMK and AAP backing on judicial issue revives hopes of opposition unity.
The decision of the DMK and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) to sign the joint opposition INDIA bloc letter to Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant, despite staying away from the June 8 opposition meeting, has given fresh hope to other parties that they can still come together on several critical issues, including delimitation, if the matter comes up again in Parliament.
The M.K. Stalin-led DMK and the AAP had both kept away from the June 8 meeting held in the national capital over the issue of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise and the role of the Election Commission.
The AAP had exited the INDIA bloc in June 2024, soon after the Lok Sabha elections that year. Meanwhile, the DMK and the Congress came face-to-face after the grand old party decided to support actor-turned-politician Joseph Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) in Tamil Nadu.
The DMK and Congress had contested the 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections together, but the SP Alliance failed to secure a majority.
The bad blood between the Congress and the DMK came out in the open after the grand old party supported TVK, with the Dravidian party accusing it of “betrayal and backstabbing”.
Sources in the Congress said that the DMK and AAP’s support to the joint letter sent to the CJI on June 28 indicates that they are willing to stand with opposition parties on several critical and important issues, especially to protect the Constitution and democracy.
The remarks gain significance as several INDIA bloc parties have witnessed rebellion and desertions following the May 4 election results. The worst affected has been Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress, where 20 out of its 28 MPs reportedly decided to merge with the NCPI, while many newly elected MLAs also rebelled against the party.
Another INDIA bloc partner, the Shiv Sena faction led by Uddhav Thackeray, also witnessed a similar development when six of its MPs reportedly decided to merge with the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena.
The recent changes in numbers in the Lok Sabha ahead of the crucial Monsoon Session have made many opposition parties rethink the implications of several Bills that the BJP-led NDA government could introduce.
A Congress source said that on the issue of the Women’s Reservation Bill and delimitation, which was part of the 131st Constitutional Amendment Bill, many parties had come together despite elections in their respective states.
The source claimed that during the three-day special session of Parliament, floor management became critical as several smaller parties that are part of the INDIA bloc were approached by ministers to support the government.
“But at that point of time, we all remained united and defeated the Bill in Parliament,” the source said.
However, following the Assembly elections in West Bengal and Tamil Nadu, the political situation has changed, the source added.
“But we are hopeful that the issue of delimitation, which Stalin himself raised and led from the front, will not be abandoned in the coming months and that he will support the united opposition,” the source said.
The source further hinted that as the DMK is upset with certain Congress leaders, other INDIA bloc partners may have to play a role in bringing the party back on board on key issues.
He, however, maintained that in politics such differences and anger do not last long when a common objective is involved.
Meanwhile, another party insider said that the DMK has remained a long-standing ally of the Congress and that these are temporary setbacks that sometimes become visible in public, but do not necessarily signal a permanent rupture.
He also pointed out that the manner in which the 131st Constitutional Amendment Bill was defeated, and the BJP’s aggressive political moves after the election results, are clear indications of how the ruling party is attempting to break opposition parties in various states. Therefore, most opposition parties need to remain united to prevent such a Bill from being brought back and passed.
The insider said that the message to opposition parties is clear: they need to keep their house in order to survive possible defections and mergers in the coming days. The threat, he said, looms over every party opposed to the BJP.
The insider further alleged that the BJP is adept at psychological warfare and seeks to instil fear among opposition parties, which is why parties are being broken.
He also claimed that the BJP’s ultimate objective is to change the Constitution so that it can do away with reservation and several other important welfare schemes.
“It is for this reason that they are adopting such tactics to secure the required numbers in Parliament and achieve a two-thirds majority. The united opposition under the INDIA bloc will fight this challenge, and the role of every party will be important, irrespective of differences,” he added.
