<h1>Regional party leaders' private meetings fuel speculation of electoral alliance ahead of local-body polls including major municipal corporation</h1> Two regional party leaders held successive private meetings at one leader's residence, sparking speculation about a formal electoral alliance for upcoming local-body polls, including a major municipal corporation; both parties have historically been estranged but have previously cooperated on select issues. Allied national and state parties publicly signaled the matter would be raised with their leadership, while rival parties and coalition partners downplayed the meetings' immediate political significance and questioned potential impacts on existing alliances. Recent local cooperative-society election losses for the two parties were noted as a political setback ahead of any formal tie-up.