IN the recently concluded Central Committee meeting, the Party identified some of the major trends in terms of national developments as follows: “Assembly election results further consolidated the hold of the RSS-BJP over the political system; victory of BJP in Bengal is a major blow to the Left, progressive and secular forces; and state institutions like the ECI are openly carrying forward the RSS agenda, undermining the sanctity of the electoral process.” We further stated that the results in West Bengal and Assam “show the ascendancy of right-wing communal forces led by the BJP, which is a matter of deep concern for all secular, progressive and democratic forces.”

It is against this current political backdrop that the INDIA bloc assumes greater significance. In the Political Review Report of the 24^TH Congress, our tactic to isolate and defeat the BJP was underlined as the correct approach. “We worked for the broadest mobilisation of all secular forces and the electoral line adopted in the Lok Sabha election saw the formation of the INDIA bloc, the seat sharing at state level, separate manifestoes and without permanent organisational structure for the INDIA bloc, all of which proved to be correct. It is this electoral unity achieved, though partial, that led to a setback for the BJP, which lost its majority in the Lok Sabha getting only 240 seats and losing 63 seats. The opposition was substantially strengthened with the INDIA bloc parties getting 234.”

At the same time, we were also cautious in our association with the INDIA bloc, while being a part of it. It was stated: “Based on the experience of the INDIA bloc of parties, we must carefully work out our approach and tactics... We should counter any tendency to substitute the independent role and activities of the Party with the INDIA bloc. We must also be clear about the class character of the main party in the INDIA bloc -- the Congress. We should demarcate from the Congress on elements of neo-liberal policies which they advocate in their national economic policies or which are being pursued by its state governments. We have to also be critical of any compromising stand it takes on Hindutva communal issues.”

It is with this insight that in the run-up to the meeting of INDIA bloc parties on 8 June, 2026, in Delhi, a letter was sent in my capacity as the general secretary of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), to the president of the Congress. Through that letter, clarification was sought on certain disruptive moves by leaders of the Congress, the biggest party in the opposition bloc.

A categorical objection was made to the campaign strategy adopted by the Congress leadership during the Assembly election in Kerala, where it was alleged that the CPI(M) and the BJP had struck a deal. It was stated: “This is a canard which we cannot take lightly. This strikes at the very basis of the unity forged against the BJP. You should know that hundreds of our cadres were martyred in Kerala in the fight against the RSS-BJP. We would also like to bring to your notice that during the last ten years of LDF rule in Kerala, there were no communal riots of any sort, unlike in many other states, which vouches for our commitment towards secularism and safeguarding communal harmony.”

Answers were demanded. “The Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, has repeatedly called for ED action against the then Kerala chief minister. Can this be termed as an anti-BJP stance or is it a case of inviting the Modi government to take illegal punitive action against a fellow opposition leader? Unless these matters are clarified, the very purpose of the INDIA bloc would be in question. As the president of the Indian National Congress, it is up to you and the Congress leadership to clear the air regarding such disruptive moves.” At the same time, fully seized of our responsibility in opposing the RSS-BJP combine, it was stated that, the CPI(M) would fully cooperate with the INDIA bloc and other opposition parties in Parliament to put up a united fight against the authoritarian, communal, and anti-people policies of the Modi government. It was reiterated that the CPI(M) would never be found wanting in this task despite all the attacks and distortions.

As far as the CPI(M) is concerned, we are clear that to defeat the RSS-BJP, the entire opposition should fight together. We are also aware that the Left and the CPI(M) have an important role to play in this struggle. But, when the Congress is being myopic, we cannot let them have a free pass. They need to self-critically assess their attacks on the constituents of the INDIA bloc. If in the recent Assembly elections they targeted the CPI(M) and Polit Bureau member Pinarayi Vijayan in Kerala, earlier it was the AAP and their topmost leader Arvind Kejriwal, who was similarly targeted in Delhi. And in Tamil Nadu, as soon as the election results were declared, they broke ranks, ditched their trusted partner of decades, the DMK, and displayed sheer opportunism to somehow be in the new government. The absence of both DMK and AAP has weakened the united platform. The INDIA bloc cannot be treated as a Congress-led alliance of parties. It should remain -- what it was envisaged to be at the outset – a broad platform of secular opposition parties.

While concluding the Political Review Report, we stated: “We should continue to associate with the INDIA bloc for elections and cooperate in Parliament and on issues of common concern against the BJP-RSS communal agenda.” It was in that spirit that a joint stand was taken on the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls, conducted by the Election Commission of India (ECI). We will give primacy to cooperation in Parliament with the INDIA bloc constituents and with opposition parties like the DMK and the AAP in the coming days, as the Modi government will seek to push through it the delimitation proposal and ‘one nation, one election’ Bills. There should be vigorous joint opposition to all attacks on democracy, Hindutva assaults on secularism and authoritarian attacks on federalism. The INDIA bloc should work as a united platform on all such issues. The five steps decided at the June 8 meeting are a positive outcome.

We are living in times where livelihood issues are clearly front and centre. Spontaneous protests of workers, peasants, the youth and students all point to the simmering anger among various sections of the Indian people. Therefore, it is imperative that we take up the bread and butter issues of the common people. Constant hike in the prices of fuel and cooking gas, enactment of labour codes, repeal of MGNREGA, inadequate availability of fertilizers, etc. are all issues that are having adverse impacts on people’s lives. Students and the youth are frustrated by the vitiated NEET and CBSE exams and unemployment. Here the Party independently and the Left unitedly must conduct struggles of different sections of the working people. The situation calls for the broadest unity of class and mass organisations to fight on people’s issues.

As a working class party, it is our responsibility to take up the class and mass issues – as we did through the Jan Akrosh Jathas across north Indian states which culminated in the Jan Akrosh Rally in Ramlila Maidan, Delhi. This accompanied by expanded Left united actions and a wider platform of secular opposition parties like the INDIA bloc in defence of democracy and secularism, against Hindutva authoritarianism is the need of the times. Our approach to the INDIA bloc is determined by this clear political perspective.