The Shiv Sena (UBT) has called out the Congress for its silence on the INDIA bloc’s status, urging the party to clarify the alliance’s future following its recent Ahmedabad meeting.

In a sharp editorial in Saamana, the Sena (UBT) criticized the Congress for focusing solely on itself during the April 8-9 session in Gujarat, neglecting broader discussions on the opposition coalition.

“Questions linger about the INDIA bloc’s fate after the Lok Sabha elections. Did it collapse or simply fade away? Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge must answer,” the editorial stated.

The Sena (UBT) stressed that the Congress, as a key player, should have addressed these concerns, especially with upcoming state polls in Bihar, Gujarat, and West Bengal, where INDIA partners like the RJD, AAP, and TMC are active.

The editorial highlighted Congress’s poor showing in Gujarat, where it won just one Lok Sabha seat since 2014, and its defeats in Maharashtra’s assembly polls, attributing losses to both BJP’s tactics and Congress’s internal issues. It urged the party to strategize for states like Madhya Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh and lead the fight against “dictatorship.”

The Sena (UBT) also warned against Congress competing with INDIA allies, citing the Delhi polls where a Congress-AAP alliance could have challenged the BJP. “We must defeat the BJP, not our friends,” it emphasized, pushing for unity to avoid handing victories to the ruling party.