Meeting between DMK Lok Sabha MP Kanimozhi and Mamata Banerjee fuels speculation of major political shifts

Kolkata : Significant political upheaval is anticipated in Indian politics ahead of the 2029 Lok Sabha elections, with recent meetings hinting at potential realignments. DMK (Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam) MP Kanimozhi recently met with West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. Reports suggest plans are underway to form an alliance of regional parties that excludes the Congress while opposing the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP); however, no official statement has been made regarding this.

Kanimozhi and Banerjee met in Kolkata on Thursday. While the meeting took place at the former CM’s residence in Kalighat, the specific issues discussed remain unclear. Prior to this, the DMK leader had met with Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray and Nationalist Congress Party (SP) Lok Sabha MP Supriya Sule. It is reported that she may soon meet Aam Aadmi Party chief Arvind Kejriwal as well.

A DMK leader stated, “We are exploring the possibility of a ‘Third Front’ without the Congress.” Meanwhile, speaking to a newspaper, a TMC MP remarked, “Mamata Banerjee shares a very good rapport with DMK chief M.K. Stalin. She maintains cordial relations with non-NDA parties and is close to those members of the ‘INDIA’ bloc who are not pro-Congress. Today’s conversation was strictly between her and Kanimozhi; anything beyond that would be mere speculation.”

For a long time, the Congress and DMK were allies in Tamil Nadu politics, contesting both Assembly and Lok Sabha elections together; however, the situation shifted after the 2026 elections. The Congress aligned itself with the state’s largest party, Tamizhaga Vetri Kazhagam (TVK), parting ways with its long-time ally, the DMK. As a result, the DMK fiercely targeted the Congress and also distanced itself from the INDIA alliance.

Meanwhile, seat-sharing could be one reason for Mamata Banerjee’s displeasure. There were reports that Mamata had sought Congress’s support for the upcoming by-elections for two seats in West Bengal—a request the Congress rejected. While TMC leaders deny this, the Congress openly acknowledges it. Reports suggested that the former Chief Minister had sought Congress support for the Rejinagar seat and offered to concede the Nandigram seat.

Pradip Bhattacharya, a former state president of the Congress, told PTI, “The proposal was that Trinamool Congress would contest the election from Rejinagar and leave the Nandigram seat for the Congress. The party’s central leadership sought time to consider this and later discussed the proposal with state leaders.” He added, “The state leadership felt that it was not the right time for an alliance. It could be considered when the time is right, but not now. This is the correct decision.”

Congress state spokesperson Suman Roy Chowdhury said, “When Trinamool was in power, it made no such proposal, even when there was a possibility of jointly contesting elections against the BJP. Now that it stands alone and defeated, it seems to have realized the importance of the Congress.”

In 2013, Mamata Banerjee had attempted to form an alliance excluding both the Congress and the BJP. Subsequently, in 2018, the then Chief Minister of Telangana, K. Chandrashekar Rao, was also seen touring various states. Kejriwal, too, was making efforts to form an alliance ahead of the 2024 elections.

Report – Abhijit Tushar Bhatt (Political Editor)