"INDIA bloc heading towards UPA's fate": Sudhanshu Trivedi questions coalition unity

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) national spokesperson and MP Sudhanshu Trivedi on Friday questioned the unity of the Opposition's INDIA bloc, alleging growing friction among alliance partners and wondering whether the coalition was heading towards the same fate as the United Progressive Alliance (UPA).

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) national spokesperson and MP Sudhanshu Trivedi on Friday questioned the unity of the Opposition's INDIA bloc, alleging growing friction among alliance partners and wondering whether the coalition was heading towards the same fate as the United Progressive Alliance (UPA). Responding to media questions, Trivedi said the composition and cohesion of the INDIA bloc had become increasingly difficult to understand, while citing alleged differences among its constituent parties over seat-sharing arrangements.

"It is becoming difficult to even discern what the 'INDIA' bloc actually is. One wonders if it is headed toward the same fate as the UPA," Trivedi said. He questioned the extent of commitment among the alliance partners, particularly in southern India, and claimed that the bloc's internal equations were showing signs of strain.

"In South India, the DMK is no longer with them—only the Muslim League remains—and one has to question the true extent of the commitment from the other partners in the 'INDIA' bloc," he said. Trivedi also referred to the Congress party's protests in Delhi and its seat-sharing discussions with the Samajwadi Party (SP), using the figures to question the Congress's negotiating position and the cohesion of the opposition alliance.

"The Congress party staged protests in Delhi for eight consecutive days, occupying 192 hours of airtime on national television channels; yet, the Samajwadi Party (SP) has allocated 192 seats to them," he said. He further claimed that the Congress had submitted a list seeking only 170 seats, arguing that the figures reflected the party's position within the alliance.

"In fact, the Congress itself has submitted a list of only 170 seats. This suggests that the Congress party does not even consider itself deserving of a number of seats equivalent to the hours of national media coverage it consumed," Trivedi said. The BJP leader said the number of seats offered by the SP revealed the nature of the alliances within the INDIA bloc and pointed to what he described as underlying tensions among its partners.

"The number of seats the SP is willing to offer clearly reveals the true nature of the alliances within the 'INDIA' bloc—and the extent of the underlying friction between the partners," he added. Trivedi's remarks came amid a broader BJP offensive against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi. On Friday, the BJP spokesperson also accused Gandhi of meeting "questionable individuals" during foreign visits and engaging in what he described as anti-India propaganda after returning to the country.

"Whenever Rahul Gandhi travels abroad, he visits undisclosed locations and meets with questionable individuals. Upon his return to India, he then engages in anti-India propaganda," Trivedi said. He also criticised Gandhi's leadership, alleging that the Congress had repeatedly attempted to project him as its principal face despite electoral setbacks. (ANI)