Sonia Gandhi’s surprise arrival at Wednesday’s INDIA bloc meeting in Delhi triggered a last-minute seating shuffle. Leaders had already set nameplates for the press conference, but her unexpected entry forced organizers to rearrange chairs. Sonia eventually sat beside Mamata Banerjee, who she later patted on the back during the event.
The Opposition INDIA bloc's meeting in Delhi on Wednesday was meant to be a show of unity, with leaders from more than 20 parties gathering to discuss a coordinated campaign against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and the Election Commission's handling of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. But just before the press conference began, an unexpected arrival disrupted the carefully planned seating arrangement. According to NDTV, Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi arrived at the venue without being expected. The seating plan had already been finalised, with nameplates placed and leaders positioned according to their political stature and the number of MPs their parties have. Her arrival triggered a last-minute scramble over where she would sit. Planned seating arrangement The INDIA bloc had arranged the press conference around a large rectangular table, with Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge positioned at the centre. Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav were to sit on either side of him, while Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee and CPM general secretary MA Baby were among those seated alongside the senior leaders. According to NDTV, Congress leaders and TMC leader Derek O'Brien had inspected the arrangement before the event. Nameplates had been placed for the leaders expected to attend. Sonia's last-minute arrival, however, meant there was no nameplate or designated chair for her. Mamata and Supriya look for a seat As Sonia entered, Mamata and Sule reportedly began looking for a place for her. Several leaders gestured towards Gandhi's chair, but Sonia instead took Tejashwi's seat, according to NDTV. The arrangement changed again when Kharge entered the hall and asked for a chair to be placed next to him. Mamata then sat beside Sonia. Samajwadi Party MP Harendra Malik was seated next to Sule. When Gandhi arrived, he took the seat on Kharge's other side. National Conference leader and Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah was seated next to him, followed by MA Baby and CPI(ML) general secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya. Tejashwi and independent Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal were subsequently seated further along the row. A chair had also been reserved for Congress leader P Chidambaram in the front row, but his absence left that space vacant. Sonia pats Mamata's back Later, when Mamata spoke at the press conference and launched a sharp attack over the EC issue, Sonia Gandhi was seen patting her back. The interaction came against the backdrop of the Opposition's attempt to present a united front over its demand for action against Gyanesh Kumar. The INDIA bloc meeting had been convened primarily to coordinate its response to the Election Commission and the ongoing controversy surrounding the SIR exercise. The Opposition has accused the poll panel of irregularities in the revision of electoral rolls, allegations rejected by the Election Commission and the government.