The efforts by K Chandrasekhar Rao to forge a ‘Federal Front’ — a non-BJP, non-Cong alliance at the Centre — in the past one year have been now-on, now-off.
With Lok Sabha elections crossing the half-way mark, the Telangana Chief Minister has revived moves to forge an alliance, causing a stir in political circles.
He met Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan at the ‘Cliff House’, his official residence in Thiruvananthapuram, on Monday, raising speculation and sending out a message to both Narendra Modi and Rahul Gandhi.
The Telangana Rastra Samithi (TRS) chief, who steered his party to a landslide victory in the December 2018 Assembly elections and exudes confidence of winning 16 out of the 17 Lok Sabha seats, has taken off for a five-day tour to Kerala and Tamil Nadu. The Chief Minister will hold political consultations and will visit famous temples in the two States.
In the past week, KT Rama Rao, the Working President of the TRS and son of KCR, has been making statements on a non-BJP, non-Cong alliance ahead of KCR’s move to restart the formal efforts again.
Soon after his Assembly victory, KCR had announced his grand plans for a national alternative.
His parleys with the the CPM leader, on the scenario after May 23 (LS poll result), assume significance as the Left Parties have been showing willingness to support regional parties and a Federal Front.
It may be recalled that earlier attempts by KCR for a Federal Front received mixed responses from Mamta Banerjee (TMC), Naveen Patnaik (BJD), Akhilesh Yadav (SP), Mayawati (BSP) and MK Stalin (DMK), among others.
To meet Stalin
KCR will fly to Chennai on May 13 to meet DMK chief Stalin. The two leaders had earlier held discussions on the possibility of a federal front. However, the DMK chief recently announced that his party would support Rahul Gandhi as a Prime Minister candidate if the situation arises.
Perceived in political circles as favourable to Narendra Modi and the NDA alliance, KCR’s initiative appears interesting. On hearing of the move, Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy telephoned KCR and discussed the visit and Karnataka elections, the CMO stated.
KCR has won over YSR Congress leader YS Jaganmohan Reddy, whose party he expects will win a majority of the 25 LS seats in Andhra Pradesh. MIM leader Asadduddin Owaisi is also likely to retain the Hyderabad seat.
The TRS chief’s bitter rival — Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh N Chandrababu Naidu — is also making national rounds holding discussions and campaigning with some of the regional parties.
For the latest on elections: Elections 2019