The Trinamool Congress is preparing to return to the INDIA bloc fold, signalling a significant recalibration of its recent political positioning, which had distanced the party from opposition unity efforts.
According to sources, either West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee or party general secretary Abhishek Banerjee is expected to join the virtual meeting of the INDIA alliance scheduled for Saturday evening. This would mark TMC’s first formal participation in alliance deliberations since the Lok Sabha elections.
The INDIA bloc, which has remained largely dormant following its lacklustre general election performance, appears to be making a fresh attempt at revival ahead of the monsoon session of Parliament and upcoming Assembly elections in Bihar.
Before last year’s elections, Mamata had declared that the INDIA bloc would have no operational role in West Bengal, with her party contesting independently within the state.
A TMC leader said, “The Congress had initially planned to host the meeting at party president Mallikarjun Kharge's residence in New Delhi. However, as several alliance leaders expressed their inability to travel to the capital, the format was changed to a virtual meeting."
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Leaders such as Akhilesh Yadav of the Samajwadi Party, Uddhav Thackeray of the Shiv Sena (Uddhav faction), and MK Stalin of the DMK are expected to join the session. TMC’s presence is being viewed as a strong signal of intent and a step towards renewed coordination within the opposition camp.
The meeting is expected to focus on framing a united strategy for the monsoon session, as well as evaluating the broader national political scenario.
It remains uncertain whether the Aam Aadmi Party will join the meeting, as no confirmation has come from their side despite outreach efforts by the Congress.
With Bihar elections on the horizon, the alliance hopes to project a unified stance and intensify its attack on the Centre. The bloc had failed to organise a cohesive strategy session during the last two parliamentary sittings—budget and winter.
Political analysts view the TMC’s participation—especially if represented by Mamata or Abhishek—as a possible inflection point in opposition politics. The move could re-energise the bloc ahead of key state elections and renew efforts to build a national alternative.
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