On Thursday, Dr Kanimozhi, the parliamentary leader of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), travelled to Mumbai to begin a series of talks with regional party chiefs after the Constitution Amendment Bill on delimitation was rejected in Parliament.
She met Uddhav Thackeray, chief of Shiv Sena (UBT), at his Matoshree residence in Bandra. Thackeray received her personally and draped a golden shawl over her shoulders, a gesture that lasted about an hour and also included Shiv Sena MPs Anil Desai and Milind Narvekar.
The discussion centred on the recent defeat of the delimitation Bill, the Congress’ stance towards the BJP, and the future direction of the INDIA bloc. Both leaders stressed the need for smaller and regional parties to coordinate their response to the proposed increase in Lok Sabha seats, especially in southern states where delimitation could reshape political equations.
After leaving Mumbai, Kanimozhi flew to Delhi for separate meetings with Sharad Pawar, leader of the Nationalist Congress Party (SP), and his daughter Supriya Sule, a Lok Sabha member. Analysts interpret these encounters as a signal that the DMK is probing the possibility of forging a coalition of regional outfits that differ with the Congress on key issues.
If successful, such a grouping could evolve into a third national formation, independent of both the BJP and the Congress. The DMK had earlier abstained from an anti‑delimitation gathering in Chennai chaired by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Vijay, a move that highlighted divergent tactics within the opposition.
Kanimozhi’s agenda also includes meetings with Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann of the Aam Aadmi Party and Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav, indicating a systematic effort to gauge support for a broader platform of state‑based forces.
The outreach comes at a time when Maharashtra’s Shiv Sena has voiced differences with the Congress, adding weight to the DMK’s push for a united regional front against the delimitation proposal.
Image for illustration purposes only
📰 Source: Mangalorean News