Kanimozhi meets Mamata amid talk of regional front without Congress for 2029 polls

DMK leader and Lok Sabha MP Kanimozhi Karunanidhi met Trinamool Congress chief and former West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee at her Kalighat residence in Kolkata on Thursday, amid escalating speculation over the possibility of a regional political formation outside the Congress-led Opposition bloc ahead of the 2029 Lok Sabha elections.

According to sources, Kanimozhi reached Banerjee’s Harish Chatterjee residence around 3.40 pm and left at around 5 pm.

Sources said Kanimozhi was in Kolkata for personal work and met Banerjee as a courtesy. There has been no official confirmation from either the DMK or the Trinamool Congress regarding the meeting.

The meeting comes amid growing uncertainty over the future of the Congress-led INDIA bloc, with the DMK and several regional parties having recently seen differences with the Congress. Kanimozhi has also held meetings with other regional leaders in recent weeks, including Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray, and separately met NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar and Lok Sabha MP Supriya Sule, according to reports.

The latest meeting has consequently revived speculation about a possible third political front involving regional parties and keeping the Congress outside the proposed arrangement. However, there has been no formal announcement of such a front, and the idea remains at the level of political speculation.

The developments also come ahead of the October 6 bypolls to Nandigram and Rejinagar in West Bengal, where the Mamata Banerjee-led TMC faction and Congress are contesting separately. The TMC announced Sanchita Pradhan (Dey) as its candidate in Nandigram and Rabiul Alam Chowdhury in Rejinagar, while Congress has also fielded candidates in the two constituencies.

Reports had earlier suggested that Banerjee reached out to Congress General Secretary KC Venugopal over a possible understanding for the bypolls, but did not receive a response. A senior Congress leader claimed the TMC had offered to leave Nandigram to Congress, but the TMC has denied making such an offer.

The Kanimozhi-Banerjee meeting assumes significance against the backdrop of the reported strain between the DMK and Congress following the 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections. The Congress and DMK had been long-standing allies in the state, but the relationship has come under strain after the Congress ended its alliance with the DMK and joined hands with actor-politician Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), according to reports.

The DMK had also skipped an INDIA bloc meeting in June, according to the reports, adding to speculation about its future role within the Opposition grouping.

(With inputs from PTI)