Samajwadi Party (SP) spokesperson Udaiveer Singh stated that Uttar Pradesh Congress President Ajay Rai’s likening of the Congress to a “Banyan tree” capable of providing shade to regional allies is Rai’s personal view. Singh emphasized that this perspective belongs solely to Rai and is an internal matter for the Congress. Singh highlighted that the SP is a part of the INDIA bloc, where leaders are senior to Rai, including state party presidents.
Singh further mentioned that the discussions held among senior leaders during the INDIA bloc meeting are significant, shaping future decisions. He affirmed that the Samajwadi Party plays an essential role within the INDIA bloc. Singh stressed the importance of respecting decisions made by the central leadership of both the Congress and the Samajwadi Party, urging against unnecessary comments from any side.
Amid strained relations with the Congress, the DMK abstained from the INDIA bloc meeting due to the Congress’s support for Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) in Tamil Nadu’s government formation. Notably, the TVK was excluded from the meeting due to its lack of representation in Parliament. While the CPI-M and Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) participated in the meeting, their disagreements with the Congress surfaced before the leaders convened.
