The two political heavyweights insisted that the meeting, which came at a time regional party leaders are looking at new partnerships, was apolitical.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin with his West Bengal counterpart Mamata Banerjee at his residence in Chennai on Wednesday, 2 November, 2022. (Supplied)
“A sister meeting a brother socially over a cup of Chennai’s famous coffee” is how West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee described her meeting with Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin.
The two political heavyweights denied discussing any politics during the “courtesy call”.
Banerjee on Wednesday, 2 November, called on her Tamil Nadu counterpart Stalin at his residence in Chennai.
She was on a two-day visit to Chennai to take part in the birthday celebrations of Manipur and West Bengal (additional charge) Governor La Ganesan’s elder brother.
Banerjee said that even though she had come down to attend a birthday function, she could not leave the city without meeting her “brother”: DMK chief MK Stalin.
The meeting between the TMC chief and MK Stalin, whose party is an alliance partner of Congress, however, garnered attention since it comes at a time Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao is making efforts to bring non-Congress and non-BJP parties together.
Rao, who has a great personal relationship with Stalin and Banerjee, abstained from a meeting called by the latter in June this year, miffed over Banerjee inviting the Congress as well.
“Stalin ji is just like my brother. It was a courtesy meeting… It was my duty to meet Stalin ji while I was in Chennai and have a cup of coffee, which is popular in Chennai,” the West Bengal chief minister told reporters.
Picture from the meeting between WB CM Mamata Banerjee and Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin. (Supplied)
Asked if politics was discussed in the meeting, especially with both the chief ministers sharing interests over federalism, language rights, and a tussle with Governors, she replied in the negative and said: “It is absolutely a personal, courtesy meeting. It is a brother-and-sister relationship. Now, you can guess if i was political or social or cultural.”
Reflecting similar views, Stalin told reporters that it was a “courtesy meeting” and not one related to elections.
“We didn’t speak about elections and neither did we speak about politics. It was just a personal meeting,” he stated.
The DMK chief added that he had accepted an invitation extended by Banerjee to visit Kolkata soon.
Hon’ble Chief Minister of West Bengal @MamataOfficial paid a courtesy call at my residence today. It was a pleasure, as always, to have a chat with such a dynamic personality.
She invited me to visit Kolkata sometime in the future and I gladly accepted her kind invitation. pic.twitter.com/tEx6yKEc3Z
— M.K.Stalin (@mkstalin) November 2, 2022
During the meeting, Stalin gifted the West Bengal Chief Minister the book Rule of the Commoner: DMK and formations of the political in Tamil Nadu, 1949-1967.
DMK general secretary Duraimurugan, parliamentary leader TR Baalu, party deputy general secretary and MP Kanimozhi, and DMK youth wing chief Udayanidhi Stalin were among those present at the meeting between the two leaders.
It may be noted that Banerjee and Stalin have shared a cordial relationship over the years.
She was one of the first national leaders to arrive in Chennai after the death of DMK patriarch M Karunanidhi. The DMK had also invited the Trinamool Congress supremo to unveil the statue of the late chief minister in Chennai on his first death anniversary.
Even on political matters, both parties have a lot in common. For example, when Banerjee was engaged in a tussle with former Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar in February this year, she dialled Stalin to discuss the “misuse of powers” by Governors in Opposition-ruled states in the country.
While Dhankar is vice-president now, the DMK is currently butting heads with Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi.
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