While Delhi politics saw a heated morning, Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao began consolidating the non-BJP and non-Congress political alliance to form a Third/Federal Front as he had announced earlier.
On Monday, KCR met with West Bengal CM and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee in Kolkata at the Secretariat, initiating the formal talks to orchestrate the alliance.
Addressing the media after the meeting, KCR highlighted the need for an alternate front in the country. “People are thinking before 2019 there will be another front. Let me clarify that this front will be for people of India. This won't be a mere alliance of a few political parties, this will be for the people. There is a need for alternate force,” said the Telangana CM.
Pointing out that this was only the beginning, KCR said, “This is the beginning of the work, today we have discussed several things, had an agreement, gist of things will become clear when other leaders sit together. We made a good beginning.”
Echoing KCR’s thoughts, Mamata said, “It is a good beginning. I think politics is a continuous process, whatever we have discussed is aimed towards development of the country.”
She added, “Politics throws at you situations where you have to work with different people. I believe in politics.”
When asked if the Congress would join the coalition, the TRS leader said, “You’re thinking in a routine political model. The agenda we are proposing is different from the routine political model. This will be on people’s agenda.”
KCR had earlier lashed out at both the BJP and the Congress for not attaining qualitative change in the country even after 70 years of independence.
When asked who would lead the third front, KCR said, “It will be a collective leadership, it will be a federal leadership.”
The Telangana CM was received by the West Bengal government representatives. KCR was accompanied by Members of Parliament, K Kavitha, APJ Jitendar Reddy and TRS general secretary Santosh Kumar along with K Keshav Rao, who was once Congress in charge for West Bengal.
KCR and team are expected to fly back to Hyderabad on Monday night.
Given the heated political atmosphere in Delhi, KCR’s visit to Kolkata has raised eyebrows in political circles.
KCR reportedly held discussions with the TMC supremo regarding a route map for the third front and the steps required to form an alternative political alliance.
However, the visit to Kolkata by the pink party leader is being termed as a “stunt” by rival parties, the Congress and the BJP, back home.
Speaking to TNM, Congress spokesperson Dr Dasoju Sravan Kumar said, “It is just to divert the anti-incumbency wave in Telangana… he is playing to Modi’s tunes.”
Dasoju, who termed the protest by TRS MPs in Parliament (Lok Sabha) as a “covert understanding” with the BJP, said, “He wants to favour the BJP government by creating obstruction in the house with his MPs so that important issues can be skipped from the discussion, which will favour the BJP.”
Dasoju also mocked KCR saying he was staging a show in order to divert the attention of the people, adding, “I don’t think Mamata Banerjee ji will take him seriously, no one will lose anything by showing willingness to meet (accepting his proposal for meeting).”
Krishna Saagar Rao, BJP spokesperson, who ruled out Congress allegations of a “covert” understanding with his party, said, “The Congress is making baseless allegations… it failed even as an opposition party in leading other parties in the house.”
Making a counter-allegation Krishna Saagar said, “KCR wants to increase his negotiation power with the Congress by using reference of Didi (Mamata Banerjee).”
Further, he said, “He is shopping for gaining legitimacy, how can the BJP have an alliance with an ally of the AIMIM?”
Meanwhile KCR, who is passionate about religious practices, is scheduled to visit the famous Kolkata Kali temple in a couple of hours.
Delhi political circles are yet to make any observation or remarks on the developments brewing in Mamata Banerjee’s citadel.
Political observers who are keenly observing KCR’s moves are quick to point out that this is a “first step”.