Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) targets Modi and Dharmendra Pradhan, but it has left the disorganised Opposition in the lurch :::

Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray praised new outfit founder Abhijit Dipke’s 'Marathi roots' and maintained that while there is a space for dissent, it is now being filled by the CJP.  

The remark from Uddhav came at the Opposition parties' meeting in New Delhi on Monday. Generally anchored by the Congress - being the principal and the largest opposition party; the INDI-alliance meeting also saw "criticism" of the combine's functioning style in multiple manners.

The faultline - well known to many and debated time and again by the media - was first flagged by Akhilesh Yadav, the Samajwadi Party chief. 

Elections are due in Uttar Pradesh in less than a year time. The SP-Congress alliance will yet again be debated. Both the parties contested jointly against BJP in 2017 but could not do much as the saffron party was able to pull the carpet underneath Akhilesh's feet. The Yogi-led dispensation is in power in the country's most populous state since then.

After Akhilesh, several other leaders including from the Left parties, echoed concerns. Some leaders also questioned the 'effectiveness' of holding meetings of the INDI-alliance only once a year.

In Monday's meeting, it has been decided that the deliberations will be held every two months and hence the next meeting has been convened at Hyderabad.  

The Congress is in power in Telangana and the state assembly elections are due in later part of 2028. 

This is the first meeting of the opposition alliance since recent polls in five states. While the Congress has able to return to power in Kerala; after this year's polls - in a major development, the founder ally DMK was dumped. This followed after Congress decided to back Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK).  

In response to remarks and soft criticism, Rahul Gandhi took upon himself the task of reacting and assuring the leaders.

He said that while the alliance remains united at the national level, he also has to take into account feedback from state unit leaders on local political conditions during election campaigns.

This also amounts to defending and justifying the Congress decision to dump DMK led by former Tamil Nadu chief minister M K Stalin. 

The opposition leaders also discussed the rise of the Cockroach Janta Party, with several leaders stating that the movement should be supported as it is raising issues that are resonating with the public.

The Anna Hazare movement remains a stark reminder for ground zero references. In 2011, the anti-corruption crusade exposed Congress and made its position vulnerable politically; the major benefactor in the long term was the BJP.  

The saffron outfit could capture power in 2014 under the leadership of Narendra Modi.  

However, there was another offshoot as in the city polls, the AAP under Arvind Kejriwal emerged as a force and it was in power in Delhi for 10 years consecutively between 2015 and 2025. The AAP is also in power in Punjab and in states such as Gujarat and also Punjab and Delhi; the AAP has mostly hurt Congress interest eating into that space. 

Hence, Uddhav's remarks have special significance of their own. 

In fact, the CJP had on Saturday demanded resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the NEET paper leak and CBSE examination row.

INDIA BLOC LEADERS MEET IN NEW DELHI

Earlier in the day, leaders of 25 Opposition parties met in New Delhi to discuss a united strategy to take on the BJP-led government over several political and economic issues, ahead of the 2029 Lok Sabha elections.

Senior Opposition leaders, including Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, and former West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, attended the meeting.

ends 

How did 'India/Bharat story' run .... different times -- DIFFERENT STROKES ---- Fungus of Corruption under Manmohan to ... "aggressive Hindu majoritarianism" of Modi and .... Namo's popularity "stems" from image as "outsider" to Delhi who courts the masses

They say Narendra Modi's stark popularity around 2013-14 actually stemmed from the image of an outsider who courts the masses. 

On June 10, 2026 PM Narendra Modi will become India’s longest-serving democratically elected Prime Minister.

The global media often said:   

"The boy who once sold tea at a railway station has become the most influential Indian leader in generations, winning a landslide in election results...".

Or so goes the story that has become the core of Narendra Modi’s extraordinary appeal.

The Guardian said in a piece in 2018: "Modi was born to a poor family in western India’s Gujarat state, where he developed a strong dislike for the ruling Congress party as a result of hanging around a political office near his father’s tea stall". 

In 2013, UCA News reported that the "fungus of corruption has eaten into all spheres of life in India".

Then it was Manmohan Singh government.

True, the scandals then had definitely nosedived the credibility of the then prime minister Dr Singh, who was credited till the other day for honesty. 

The international press were not far off.

'Time' magazine rated Manmohan Singh as an “under achiever” and 'The Washington Post' had called him a “tragic figure".   

In 2024, it was reported that Modi had in the run up to the palls boasted that he would win a third full majority in the world’s largest democracy.

In terms of numbers, – the Modi camp suggested that his party would win as many as 400 seats.

Instead there was a rebuke. 

Far from winning a landslide, the BJP seats fell from 303 to 240, leaving him reliant on political allies - the JD(U) and the TDP. 

"The BJP had made a major push in the south and managed to take a seat in Kerala. But Mr Modi’s vote slumped in his own constituency of Varanasi, in the north. Indian electors have humbled the strongman," went an edit by London's 'The Guardian'. 

A newspaper headline in Arunachal Pradesh : 'writing on the poster' - 2014 

In 2013 (under Manmohan-Sonia rule; .... yet again)

"From the top down, the country has been rocked by this latest slew of allegations of kickbacks and nepotism on an unprecedented scale. 

In a report released in mid-August, the nation’s Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) estimates a loss to the state exchequer that could amount to US$37 billion. The report states that the government “did not follow” transparent and objective methods. 

The government defended itself by saying the CAG estimate of the possible loss is only a guess. 

Finance Minister P Chidambaram (2013) went further to say there was “no loss” as no mining of coal has been done yet. The case centers around the government’s allocation of coal deposits suitable for mining, known as coal blocks.  

The government made the allocation of several coal blocks without auction, resulting in spectacular windfalls for some private operators. The opposition is keen to point out that Manmohan Singh himself was closely involved at the time on a ministerial level. 

“The truth is, the corruption and gross impropriety in the coal blocks allocation will end at the prime minister’s doorstep. He has to quit,” said  the then leader of the opposition in Rajya Sabha, Late Arun Jaitley. 

Manmohan Singh as FM : 1991 (When he liberalised India's economy)  

Tracing History .... and Tracking Politics 

"Hindu nationalists were sidelined by India’s founding prime minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, whose vision of India was of a secular nation at ease with its bewildering plurality," wrote Michael Safi.  

Their parties, including Modi’s Bharatiya Janata party (BJP), struggled to win more than 10% of the national vote for decades until the 1990s, when they started to expand on the back of a national campaign to demolish a 16th-century Mughal mosque and replace it with a Hindu temple. 

This was a critical phase.  

That push culminated in the 'destruction' of a disputed structure in 1992 at Ayodhya (or the mosque) by a mob of 150,000 Hindu activists, which had triggered rioting across India that killed an estimated 2,000 people.

Not to forget, the then Narasimha Rao Govt dismissed three BJP-ruled states Madhya Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh and Rajasthan. The then UP chief minister Kalyan Singh had resigned on his own ... but by then either the mission was accomplished or the damage done. 

Till then ... the BJP’s support was limited to wealthier Hindus in the country’s north and west, with resistance to the party from poor, marginalised Hindus, Muslims and south Indians thought to be permanent hurdles to Hindu nationalist domination.

Blogger - Field Duty  

What has to be admitted is that Modi’s magnetism, especially his personal branding as a tea boy who climbed to the country’s highest ranks, has changed many socio-political calculations. 

"Young Indians had grown up being told their country was on the cusp of becoming a superpower. In Modi here they had a leader who spoke as if it already was," -- ran another commentary. 

In May 2026 after West Bengal mandate came; - BBC could not help reporting - 

"Modi's BJP conquers Bengal, one of India's toughest political frontiers"

For years, India's West Bengal state was the great exception to Narendra Modi's political advance.

His Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had swept through India's Hindi-speaking heartland, expanded into the west and north-east, and overwhelmed once-formidable regional rivals. Yet Bengal - argumentative and steeped in a self-image of cultural exceptionalism - remained stubbornly resistant. 

This transition is now is huge. The Hindutva that seemed working only in lab called 'Gujarat' .. has now spread and even taken in former red-bastion.  

Moreover, Muslims are still in sizable numbers in this province.  

ends 

Mamata is speechless :::: NDA crosses 300 mark in Lok Sabha !! :::: Now Lok Sabha 'shocker' for Pishi-Bhaipo combo ::: 20 TMC MPs write letter to Lok Sabha Speaker 'expressing desire' to ally with BJP-led NDA

 As many as 20 Trinamool MPs write letter to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla 'expressing desire' to ally with BJP-led NDA: lawmaker Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar.  

Timing was perfect.

As Mamata took her seat alongside Opposition leaders, including the Gandhis, the ground beneath her own feet appeared to be shifting.

Claiming that she continued to be TMC's chief whip in the Lok Sabha, Dr Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar said the decision to write to Speaker was taken after consultations with fellow MPs.

NDA 300 PAAR IN LOK SABHA  

20 TMC MPs extend SUPPORT to the BJP-led NDA. 

— "We will function as a separate group" .

— NDA's strength rises from 293 to 313 MPs in the Lok Sabha. 

It is not without good reasons that Mamata Banerjee was left speechless.  

As TMC chief and 'ousted' CM focused on projecting opposition unity at the INDI-alliance loc meeting in Delhi, her party appeared to be unraveling back in West Bengal, with internal dissent weakening her authority.

Today, she was left with much diminished position on the national stage.  

'Bengal mutiny against TMC  moves to Delhi'  

Demoralised Gang 

She left the venue after the opposition meeting without answering questions from journalists. 

She was repeatedly asked if her party is about to split and what about the resignation of Rajya Sabha MP Sukhendu Sekhar Roy.   

Sukhendu Roy quit after 13 years as Rajya Sabha whip for TMC

A photo showed Roy meeting five Trinamool Lok Sabha MPs privately

CM Suvendu Adhikari landed in Delhi. He was seen at Union Minister Bhupender Yadav’s Delhi residence with "some rebel TMC MPs".  

Mamata Banerjee was sitting next to Kharge during media briefing after Opposition leaders' meet. 

In the past, the TMC leader generally wanted to replace Congress from the anchoring role for the opposition. But the West Bengal mandate has weakened her position severely.

Things turned worse after about 20 MPs have revolted in Delhi. Sukhendu Sekhar Roy, a longtime party insider and TMC chief whip in Rajya Sabha, tendered his resignation from the party and the Upper House of Parliament on Monday, June 8th. 

The opposition alliance meeting was also attended among others by Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, Tejashwi Yadav and Supriya Sule.  

If TMC rebel MPs have managed 20 numbers; this would mean split in the TMC Lk Sabha wing. In 2024, the party had won 29 members.

The development comes barely days after the Mamata and TMC leadership suffered a setback in the West Bengal Assembly, where 58 of its 80 MLAs defied the party high command's decision to appoint veteran leader Sovandeb Chattopadhyay as the Leader of the Opposition.

Now, "expelled first time" MLA Ritabrata Banerjee is LoP in West Bengal.   

"We have sent a letter to the Lok Sabha Speaker and stated that we want to support the NDA," Barasat MP Dr Ghosh Dastidar said.

Sources said the dissident MPs intend to argue before the Speaker that Dr Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar continues to be the valid chief whip of the party in the Lok Sabha and that any subsequent changes announced by the party leadership were not completed through the required parliamentary procedure.

Mamata Banerjee-led TMC had decided to remove Ghosh Dastidar as chief whip and replace her with Kalyan Banerjee, but that was not communicated to the Lok Sabha secretariat, it is learnt. 

The meeting of rebel MPs was attended by former TMC Rajya Sabha MP Sukhendu Sekhar Ray and also Lok Sabha MPs Prasun Banerjee, Sharmila Sarkar, Jagadish Chandra Basunia, Kalipada Saren Kherwal and Arup Chakraborty.

Addressing reporters after meeting Rajya Sabha Chairman CP Radhakrishnan, Ray confirmed that he had formally submitted his resignation from the Upper House.

Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh visits Leh Sector, interacts with troops

Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh visited Leh Sector from 5–7 June 2026, reviewing operational preparedness, border infrastructure and logistical sustainability with senior military commanders at HQ 14 Corps. 

During visits to forward areas in Eastern Ladakh, including Base Camp & Northern Glacier, he interacted with troops and commended their unwavering dedication, courage and professionalism in safeguarding the nation’s security under the most challenging conditions"

Amid persistent threats to TMC's unity and Mamata's hold, INDI-alliance opposition parties pledge to meet regularly; ::: Next meeting in Hyderabad in August

 After the INDIA bloc meeting, Congress National President Mallikarjun Kharge says, "It was agreed that all parties of the INDIA alliance would meet every two months. The next meeting will be held in Hyderabad in August."

Bengal mutiny against TMC  moves to Delhi  Mamata Banerjee left the venue after the opposition meeting without answering questions from journalists. She was repeatedly asked if her party is about to split and what about the resignation of Rajya Sabha MP Sukhendu Sekhar Roy.  

Mamata Banerjee was sitting next to Kharge during briefing.

In the past, the TMC leader generally wanted to replace Congress from the anchoring role for the opposition. But the West Bengal mandate has weakened her position severely.

Things turned worse after about 20 MPs have virtually revolted in Delhi. Sukhendu Sekhar Roy, a longtime party insider and TMC chief whip in Rajya Sabha, tendered his resignation from the party and the Upper House of Parliament on Monday, June 8th. 

The opposition alliance meeting was also attended among others by Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, Tejashwi Yadav and Supriya Sule.  

RJD leader and Bihar Assembly LoP Tejashwi Yadav says, "...There has been consensus on five issues and we are all united in raising them...If the election is held using ballot papers, the BJP won't stand a chance"

Opposition leaders decide to write to CJI on SIR, seek Pradhan's resignation

 Leaders of 25 opposition parties met here on Monday and decided to send a letter to the chief justice of India on the SIR and the "vote loot" issue, besides demanding the immediate resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the NEET-CBSE exams row.  

Addressing a press conference after the INDIA bloc meeting here, Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge said the leaders also demanded that the Union government convenes an all-party meeting to discuss the "precarious current economic situation" in the country, besides unemployment, price rise, issues of farmers and oppressed sections of society.

He said the leaders of the opposition grouping also decided to meet every two months and the next meeting would be held in Hyderabad in August. He said the date would be fixed at a later date.

CM Suvendu arrives ::::: Aapa's Delhi drama-national marketing 'save my bhaipo' mission badly hit :::: Sukhendu Roy quits Trinamool deepening trouble for 'defeated CM' Mamata :::: Abhishek's aide Jahangir Khan arrested by STF

 Sukhendu Sekhar Roy quits Trinamool, meets party MPs, deepening trouble for Mamata   

Trinamool 'rebel' MPs at BJP minister's home, Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu too

14 party MPs meet Suvendu

Sources revealed that 14 of the TMC's 29 Lok Sabha MPs later met BJP leader and CM Suvendu Adhikari, who reached Delhi on Monday as the political crisis within the Trinamool Congress spilled over into the national capital.

Blistering attack on 'aapa' by an insider ...

In his resignation letter to Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee, Sukhendu said the people of Bengal have "rejected the party's rampant corruption, extreme oppression of women, and its utter failure and the severe anarchy prevailing across sectors, including education, healthcare, industry, employment, and law and order."

As Mamata Banerjee seeks to retain her bargaining power at the INDI-alliance bloc meeting today, her leverage appears to be rapidly diminishing following the resignation of the party's Rajya Sabha chief whip, Sukhendu Sekhar Roy.

Around 20 Lok Sabha MPs are also meeting separately.  

In a development reminiscent of last week's split in the Bengal Assembly, the Trinamool Congress's parliamentary wing also appeared to be heading in a similar direction, with at least five party MPs seen alongside Sukhendu shortly after his resignation in a photograph exclusively accessed by India Today.

All these after Mamata Banerjee lost her grip over the Trinamool Congress's MLAs.

More or less this is like a second wave of setbacks for her and her onetime powerful Bhaipo Abhishek Banerjee, Diamond Harbour MP. 

Sukhendu Sekhar Roy is TMC's longest-serving member in the Rajya Sabha for over a decade.   

Sukhendu Sekhar Roy further wrote: "The voters have, for the first time in Bengal’s history, given the Bharatiya Janata Party a massive victory in terms of seats. 

The newly elected government has already begun working to implement multiple programmes for Bengal’s overall development and reconstruction, in line with its election promises."

Trinamool leader Jahangir Khan arrested by STF near India-Nepal border on extortion charges

The Calcutta High Court had on May 26 vacated an interim protection granted to Khan, against whom seven FIRs were registered at Falta police station in South 24 Parganas district.  

Money laundering case: ED conducts raids at 4 locations across Mizoram-Myanmar border

 ED raids four places on Mizoram-Myanmar border, Tripura-Bangladesh border, and West Bengal  

Money laundering case: ED conducts raids at 4 locations across Mizoram-Myanmar border  

The locations are just 200 m from the Bangladesh border and in Mizoram, the location is 500 m from the Myanmar border.

Proceeds of crime aggregating to over Rs 142 crore have been identified so far

The Directorate of Enforcement (ED) is conducting searches since morning under Section 17 of the PMLA, 2002 at four locations across Mizoram-Myanmar border, Tripura-Bangladesh border and West Bengal in a money laundering case arising from an NCB case of Agartala zonal unit registered in August last year. 

The case involved the seizure of 49.101 kg methamphetamine and 40 g heroin in Tripura.  

The investigation has revealed an organised cross-border syndicate sourcing methamphetamine from Myanmar via the Champhai/Zokhawthar sector of Mizoram for delivery to receivers in Tripura, with proceeds of crime layered through multiple bank accounts and shell entities.

ends