In another important development in the formation of a Federal Front, K.T. Rama Rao, Telangana Rashtra Samithi working president, and YSRCP chief, Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, held preliminary parleys here today.

The Federal Front mooted by Telangana Chief Minister and TRS supremo, K Chandrasekhar Rao, seeks to forge a coalition of non-BJP, non-Congress regional parties.

The meeting of sons of two regional party chiefs, KCR and late Y.S. Rajasekhara Raddy, is being seen as a major step towards strengthening the formation of the Front.

K.T. Rama Rao called on Jagan Mohan Reddy at the latter’s residence near Lotus Pond and held a closed door discussion for more than 90 minutes, attended by leaders of both parties.

Interacting with the media after their meeting, both the leaders said they were keen to work together to give regional parties a greater say at the Centre.

While political analysts see this as a meeting that could focus on taking on the TDP chief and AP Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, in the ensuing Assembly and Parliament elections, both leaders did not mention him during the briefing.

The meeting assumes importance in the backdrop of the bitter elections fought in Telangana, where TRS routed the Maha Kutami, an alliance of Congress, TDP, TJS and Leftists, and Naidu was singled out as an opponent of Telangana.

After the rout in the elections, TRS chief KCR made it clear that his party would give a ‘return gift’ and play a crucial role in the upcoming elections in Andhra Pradesh. AIMIM leader Asaduddin Owaisi, too, had said he would support Jagan against Naidu.

Describing the meeting held today as preliminary, taking one step at a time, and not going into details about the talks, both the leaders said KCR sought a meeting to discuss the Federal Front. Today’s meeting would be followed by another one between KCR and Jagan at Amaravati, to take the Front agenda forward.

One of the significant political issues is the denial of Special Category status to AP following the bifurcation of AP and Telangana. And this has also resulted in the TDP-BJP alliance in AP falling through, and political polarisation.

Jagan said strong numbers from Telugu states could make a big difference in Centre-State relations. In order to secure special category status for Andhra Pradesh, 25 seats from Andhra Pradesh and 17 from Telangana could make for a strong force. The special category status assured during bifurcation has, thus far, been denied by the NDA Government.

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