Senior Congress leader P. Chidambaram expressed serious doubts about the current state of the INDIA bloc, openly questioning whether the opposition alliance remains intact. Speaking at the launch of the book "Contesting Democratic Deficit" by Salman Khurshid and Mritunjay Singh Yadav, Chidambaram remarked that the alliance appears “frayed at the seams” and that only Khurshid, who was part of the alliance's negotiating team, could confirm its true status.
While acknowledging the importance of the alliance, Chidambaram candidly stated:
“If the alliance is totally intact, I will be very happy. But it shows at the seams that it is frayed.”
Still, he remained hopeful, suggesting that there is "still time" to put the alliance back together ahead of the next electoral challenge.
Chidambaram also warned that the INDIA bloc is up against a "formidable machinery" in the BJP — a party he described as uniquely powerful in India’s political history. He claimed:
“It’s not just another political party. It’s a machine behind a machine and the two machines control all the machineries in India — from the Election Commission to the lowest police station.”
Despite concerns about institutional bias, Chidambaram emphasized that India still remains an electoral democracy where genuine results are possible, stating:
“You can interfere with elections... But you can't get away with elections. You can’t have elections where the ruling party gets away with 98 per cent of the votes... That is not possible in India.”
He further underscored the critical importance of the 2029 general elections, warning that a decisive BJP win could signal a “point beyond repair” for Indian democracy.
Salman Khurshid echoed Chidambaram’s concerns, acknowledging that internal issues within the INDIA bloc need urgent resolution. He urged the opposition to adopt a broader, long-term vision rather than focusing solely on seat-sharing or short-term electoral gains.
“If we only think how many seats we will contest and what will happen once the results are out, we will miss out on the major thing we set out to do — to effect a massive reversal of electoral trends,” Khurshid said.
Their remarks reflect both discontent and urgency within Congress about the INDIA bloc’s future, and signal the need for strategic recalibration as the opposition prepares for the long road to 2029.
