Overview
- Sanjay Raut first proposed that parties formed after splitting from the Indian National Congress should reunite, and Ashok Gehlot publicly endorsed that call in posts and remarks on June 12–13.
- Gehlot pressed that those breakaway parties should 'wholeheartedly accept' Rahul Gandhi as the INDIA bloc’s visible leader to send a clear message to voters.
- He framed the appeal as a defense of democratic values, arguing that a united opposition under one leader could change the country’s voting pattern.
- Gehlot specifically said parties with distinct histories — including Shiv Sena (UBT), CPI(M), CPI and the Samajwadi Party — need not be expected to merge back into Congress.
- The interventions are persuasive appeals rather than formal talks; there are no reported merger agreements or firm responses from the targeted breakaway parties and observers will watch for reactions from leaders such as Sharad Pawar.