Mamata, Stalin defeat setback to INDIA bloc; Kerala a silver lining for Cong

New Delhi, May 4: The opposition INDIA bloc suffered a setback on Monday as regional titans Mamata Banerjee of the Trinamool Congress and MK Stalin of the DMK lost their hometurfs West Bengal and Tamil Nadu, respectively, and the Kerala win of the Congress-led UDF was the only silver lining.
The impact of the results will be felt deeply in national politics, with the cohesion of the INDIA bloc set to be tested after the fall of the state stalwarts and the BJP continuing with its winning momentum ahead of the next round of assembly elections in states including Uttar Pradesh.
The West Bengal results came as a huge blow not just to the TMC but to the entire opposition bloc, which has been struggling to keep the parties and cadres intact and upbeat. Only a few days ago, the INDIA bloc member AAP lost seven Rajya Sabha MPs to the BJP. And today, the defeat of Mamata Banerjee and Stalin spells a challenging road ahead for the anti-BJP alliance. (PTI)