The Congress’s attempt to revive the virtually defunct INDIA bloc suffered a setback on Thursday, with the DMK announcing that it will skip the alliance meeting scheduled for June 8. The move comes amid the party’s anger over the Congress’s decision to snap ties with it in Tamil Nadu and join hands with Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK).

The DMK’s decision signals that it is unwilling to share space with the Congress, raising fresh questions over the future of the Opposition alliance.

“Since the formation of the INDIA alliance, the DMK has functioned as one of its central pillars, with party president M K Stalin playing a leading role in raising key issues affecting the people of the country… DMK cadres have been deeply hurt by the Congress’s betrayal. To respect the sentiments of party workers, the DMK has decided not to attend the INDIA (bloc) meeting in which the Congress will also participate,” said the party in a statement.

However, the DMK reiterated that it would continue to oppose issues it considers detrimental to democracy, secularism and the rights of states, including NEET, the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and the “One Nation, One Election” proposal.

The development also comes at a time when the Trinamool Congress (TMC), the second-largest constituent of the INDIA bloc, is grappling with internal turmoil barely a month following its defeat in the West Bengal Assembly elections.

With both TMC chief Mamata Banerjee and DMK president Stalin — who have been among the Opposition’s most prominent voices against the BJP-led Centre — facing political challenges, the future of the INDIA bloc appears increasingly uncertain.

Sources in the Left parties said their leaders would attend the meeting but would convey their “strong reservations” over the Congress’s approach on several issues. According to them, the Congress’s attacks on the CPI(M) and former Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan during the state Assembly election campaign have emerged as a source of friction in their ties at the national level.

The Left is also understood to be unhappy with the Congress’s decision to walk out of its long-standing alliance with the DMK shortly after the Tamil Nadu Assembly polls. The DMK had condemned the move and even written to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla seeking a change in seating arrangements for its MPs, arguing that it would not be appropriate for them to sit alongside Congress members in the House. On Thursday, Birla agreed to the DMK’s request.

Sources said sections within the CPI(M) also believe that the Congress has failed to provide effective leadership and direction to the Opposition alliance, citing what they see as a lack of conviction and commitment in steering it.

The proposal to regroup the INDIA bloc has been floated by Mamata after the TMC’s electoral debacle in Bengal.

Several Opposition leaders acknowledge that the bloc is facing a broader leadership crisis. Many of its key regional figures — including NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray, Samajwadi Party (SP) president Akhilesh Yadav and RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav — have already suffered electoral setbacks in their respective states.

Leaders from the INDIA alliance who spoke to The Indian Express expressed little enthusiasm about the upcoming meeting, noting that repeated pledges of unity have largely remained on paper. Some argued that the alliance must move beyond parliamentary coordination and launch joint campaigns and protests against the BJP-led government. So far, however, cooperation has largely been confined to floor coordination in Parliament.

With the DMK signalling a more confrontational stance towards the Congress, even that limited cooperation could come under strain.