Post-Monsoon Session Huddle: DMK joins Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla's tea party; Sudip Bandyopadhyay seeks NDA convener

The customary post-session tea meeting hosted by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Thursday reflected the changing political equations, with DMK attending the gathering despite the absence of most Opposition parties, and the BJP's newest NDA ally urging the PM to appoint a convener for better coordination within NDA.

Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi, SP chief Akhilesh Yadav and other Opposition INDIA bloc floor leaders stayed away from the customary interaction at the Speaker's chamber despite a leader from the ruling party approaching Gandhi and inviting him for tea after noticing the Opposition's absence.

In contrast, DMK, once among Congress' oldest allies and now crucial to BJP's arithmetic for the delimitation bill which requires a two-thirds majority, was represented by its floor leader K Kanimozhi. The party's separate seating arrangement from Congress also figured during the interaction, underlining the evolving political equations.


The informal interaction, attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, defence minister Rajnath Singh, home minister Amit Shah and other NDA leaders also saw the AITC rebel bloc raise organisational issues. Sudip Bandyopadhyay, leader of the 20-member rebel bloc seeking recognition as the National Congress Party of India (NCPI), urged Modi to appoint an NDA convener for better coordination.

"I requested Prime Minister Modiji to appoint a leader as convener of the alliance. It is always better that someone is there to coordinate among allies even when Parliament is not in session. It will help improve communication," Bandyopadhyay told ET, recalling that leaders like George Fernandes and N Chandrababu Naidu had earlier served as NDA conveners. According to Bandyopadhyay, the PM heard him out and nodded.

He also raised the issue of formal recognition of NCPI in Parliament, saying the delay was creating practical difficulties as Sansad TV identifies members speaking in the House as belonging to AITC. Birla said a decision will be taken at an appropriate time.