Samajwadi Party Chief Akhilesh Yadav's Swipe At Congress Deepens Question Over India Block Unity

Lucknow: Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Friday appeared to take a veiled swipe at Congress after the party’s dramatic political shift in Tamil Nadu triggered fresh questions over the stability of the INDIA bloc.

Sharing a photograph from his recent meeting with Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee and another picture with DMK president M. K. Stalin, Akhilesh posted on social media platform X, “We are not the ones who abandon each other in times of difficulty.”

Though he did not directly name Congress, the timing of the remark quickly drew attention in political circles after the party walked out of its long-standing alliance with the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam in Tamil Nadu and extended support to actor-politician Vijay and his Tamilaga Vetri Kazhagam (TVK).

Akhilesh’s remarks came a day after he met Mamata Banerjee and TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee in Kolkata following the Trinamool Congress’ setback in West Bengal.

The meeting was seen as part of wider opposition efforts to reassess political strategy after recent assembly election losses.

The Congress on Wednesday announced support to Vijay’s TVK in a surprise move that effectively ended its alliance with the DMK, a partner it had remained aligned with for years in Tamil Nadu politics. The Tamil Nadu Congress Committee said it would support the formation of a TVK-led government and “share the responsibility of governance”.

The move triggered sharp reactions from the DMK, which accused Congress of “backstabbing” the alliance at a crucial political moment. Congress, however, defended its decision by saying like-minded parties were free to join hands to form a government and argued that the electoral verdict reflected public dissatisfaction with the DMK.

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The developments have intensified speculation over emerging strains within the INDIA bloc following a series of electoral setbacks for opposition parties across states.

While Mamata Banerjee has publicly advocated stronger opposition unity despite the TMC’s poor performance in Bengal, Congress’ decision in Tamil Nadu has caused unease among some allies who view the move as politically unpredictable.

The BJP also targeted the opposition alliance over the developments, claiming that internal contradictions and competing regional ambitions would eventually lead to the collapse of the INDIA bloc.