By Rahil Nora Chopra
The political buzz around the formation of a potential Third Front is back, with the DMK communicating with like-minded parties and trying to forge a viable alternative to take on the BJP and Congress ahead of the 2029 Lok Sabha elections. In this regard, MP Kanimozhi Rajathi Karunanidhi interacted with the Mamata All India Trinamool Congress chief and former West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee at her Kalighat residence in Kolkata on Thursday. There has been no official confirmation from either the DMK or the Mamata Trinamool Congress regarding the meeting. This came after Kanimozhi’s interactions with Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray and NCP (SP) MP Supriya Sule in Mumbai on September 12. 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. Congress has also fielded candidates in the two constituencies. The Kanimozhi-Banerjee meeting assumes prominence 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 cumulated its alliance with the DMK and joined hands with actor-politician Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK).
AKHILESH YADAV TO EMBARK ON ‘SAMAJADI PDA YATRA’ FOR UP POLL CAMPAIGN
With the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections approaching, the Akhilesh Yadav-led Samajwadi Party is gearing up its campaign, with a target of statewide outreach programme and with the PDA (Pichhda, Dalit, Alpsankhyak) formula at the heart of its strategy. The party is all set to take out ‘Samajwadi PDA Yatra’, commencing from October, and will emphasize on the party’s core electoral formula throughout the statewide campaign. The SP is yet to decide on the final dates, route and schedule for the yatra. Akhilesh Yadav will embark on his travel on a luxury bus and is equipped with bulletproof glass and a hydraulic lift to the roof for addressing crowds. It has space for meetings and a living area with a sofa-cum-bed, a kitchen and pantry, a washroom, CCTV cameras, exterior LED screens, Wi-Fi connectivity and air-conditioning. The red-coloured bus arrived at the SP headquarters with a new design and ‘Samajwadi PDA Yatra’ written on its sides. The left side carries a picture of Akhilesh Yadav alongside the slogan – Samajik Nyay Ka Parcham Lehrayega, PDA hi Parivartan Layega (The flag of social justice will fly high; PDA will bring change). The right side carries a picture of SP founder Mulayam Singh Yadav with the slogan — PDA Samajik Andolan Hai, Samajik Nyay Ka Sangharsh Hai (PDA is a social movement; it is a struggle for social justice). The words Pichhda, Dalit and Alpsankhyak are also displayed on the bus, along with pictures of leaders including BR Ambedkar, Janeshwar Mishra, Ram Manohar Lohia and Beni Prasad Verma.
RAHUL GANDHI SLAMS ‘UPI TAX’, ASKS MODI TO ‘HAVE A SPINE’, RESIST TRUMP
Congress MP and Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi demanded an immediate rollback of what he described as “UPI tax” — the framework that brings changes to how certain merchant transactions are charged when making a UPI payment. In a video shared on X, Gandhi appealed to Modi to “stop lying down in front of the US, have a spine, stand up” and roll back what he called the “UPI tax”. Drawing a comparison with former prime minister Indira Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi said: “Indiraji was once asked whether she leans left or right, and her response was, I don’t lean left, I don’t lean right, I stand straight. Modiji has a completely different concept. He is neither left nor right; he has decided to lie down straight and prostrate himself in front of Donald Trump. He has put a tax on every single Indian by taxing UPI and giving huge amounts of money to the US. Modiji, please stop lying down in front of the US, have a spine, stand up and take back the UPI tax.” The Congress has alleged that the government introduced the UPI charge in response to a US demand to end zero MDR (merchant discount rate). The party also said the prime minister has “redefined NOTA – Narendra’s Ongoing Trump Appeasement”.
MARATHA QUOTA ACTIVIST CALLS OFF HUNGER STRIKE AFTER GOVT OUTREACH
Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange-Patil on September 17, called off his 20-day indefinite hunger strike after the Maharashtra government sought three months to address his demands. The decision was made after a government delegation interacted him at Patoda in Beed district. After the meeting, Jarange-Patil said the government had been allocated 90 days to fulfil the demands. If the demands were not fulfilled within this period, he said, the agitation would move towards Mumbai. Jarange-Patil claimed the agitation had brought to light around 58 lakh Kunbi records relating to members of the Maratha community and alleged that efforts were being made to minimize the number of such records. He also said the government had agreed to issue a revised Government Resolution concerning the Hyderabad Gazetteer. (IPA Service)
