Political Boycott Casts Shadow Over 18th BRICS Summit as Opposition Chief Ministers Stay Away

While the 18th BRICS Summit at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi successfully wrapped up with the adoption of the historic New Delhi Declaration, the high-profile international event also became a focal point for domestic political friction. Chief Ministers from opposition-ruled states conspicuously distanced themselves from both the two-day multilateral proceedings and the grand gala dinner hosted for attending dignitaries. Although invitations were formally extended to all state chief leaders nationwide, key opposition figures chose to stay away, with sources from Telangana and Himachal Pradesh indicating that Chief Ministers Revanth Reddy and Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu skipped the gathering due to prior scheduling commitments.BJP-Ruled State Chief Ministers Mark Full Attendance at the International MeetIn sharp contrast to the opposition's absence, leadership from the ruling NDA alliance turned out in full force to represent the country. Six chief ministers from BJP and NDA-governed states actively participated in the summit events and official dinner receptions, including Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, West Bengal leader Suvendu Adhikari, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, and Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta. Prominent opposition leaders from other non-BJP regional administrations—such as Kerala's VD Satheesan, Tamil Nadu's Vijay, Karnataka's DK Shivakumar, alongside Reddy and Sukhu—remained absent. Political analysts noted that this boycott echoes similar past instances, recalling when Congress chief ministers similarly stayed away from the NITI Aayog Governing Council meeting in July 2024 and the G20 presidential dinner in 2023.Congress Party Raises Sharp Questions Over Border Dispute and Delhi Declaration OutcomesThe political fallout extended beyond attendance figures as the main opposition Congress party launched a scathing critique of the summit's diplomatic deliverables and the New Delhi Declaration. Senior Congress leader Nana Patole publicly questioned the government, arguing that in light of ongoing border tensions and Chinese territorial claims in Arunachal Pradesh and Ladakh, Prime Minister Narendra Modi should have directly demanded a full withdrawal of Chinese troops during bilateral talks. Patole asserted that the apparent omission of hardline border dispute discussions from core outcomes was deeply disappointing for India's national interests. Echoing these concerns, leader Rashid Alvi criticized the final declaration's text on terrorism, pointing out that while the document formally condemned the Pahalgam terror attack, it lacked specific attribution regarding cross-border sponsors and global state actors fueling terrorism.