A crucial meeting of INDIA bloc leaders took place on August 7 at the residence of Congress MP Rahul Gandhi. The meeting was convened in a climate of escalating political tensions, triggered by alleged irregularities in the Bihar voter list revision, recent incidents of violence in Jammu and Kashmir, and mounting criticism of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut outlined the key items on the agenda. The meeting was expected to delve into the details of Operation Sindoor, the Pahalgam attack, and the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in Bihar. The INDIA bloc has previously expressed concerns about the transparency and timing of the revision process, especially with state elections on the horizon. KC Venugopal stated that the bloc is advocating for a parliamentary discussion on the issue. Attendees included Congress Parliamentary Party Chairperson Sonia Gandhi, LOP Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge, NCP-SCP chief Sharad Pawar, Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray, National Conference President Farooq Abdullah, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, DMK MP Tiruchi Siva, RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav, and TMC leader Abhishek Banerjee. Telangana CM Revanth Reddy, Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah were also in attendance. MNM chief and Rajya Sabha MP Kamal Haasan also participated in the meeting. Congress MP Rajani Patil stated that the meeting covered several important topics, including the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of Electoral Rolls in Bihar. She underscored the need for serious attention to this matter, and called for a thorough discussion within Parliament to ensure fairness and transparency in the electoral process. Congress MP Francis George reported the INDIA bloc meeting featured a presentation from Rahul Gandhi on the SIR issue in Bihar, highlighting claims of widespread rigging and malpractice during the last Lok Sabha elections which enabled the BJP to secure a majority. He added that the bloc will reveal the BJP’s actions to the public.
