Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao is likely to make an appeal to the people of Andhra Pradesh to back YSRCP chief Jaganmohan Reddy in the upcoming Legislative Assembly and Lok Sabha elections in the state, in exchange for the latter's support to the Federal Front, a consortium of regional parties being formed by the Telangana Rashtra SAmithi (TRS) President.
Speaking to PTI, TRS Spokesperson Abid Rasool Khan said, "I personally feel the appeal which will be made by KCR and important leaders then will definitely have percentage of voters who are either interested in Telangana, or related to Telangana or look at Telangana as a model state to support Jagan. That's a very big advantage that Jagan will get. We look to him (Jagan) to reciprocate by being part of the front and supporting us in times of national requirements like any fund, development...he will also support and we will have healthy relationship like neighbours."
Last month, in a major meeting, KCR deputed his son and TRS working President KT Rama Rao to meet with Jagan at Lotus Pond in Hyderabad
Emerging from the meeting, Jagan said, “I spoke to KCR garu on the phone and we discussed about the federal front and about the injustice from the Centre to the states. If we want that to change, we need to act. Take special status to Andhra for example. A promise made with the Parliament as witness, was not fulfilled. Many such promises are pending.”
“If we look at the MP representation of each state, it is not much, which is why even with 25 MPs in AP when we demanded special status, nothing happened. But now with 17 MPs from Telangana joining hands, it will help our case much better and stronger and the Centre cannot ignore it,” he added.
It was also announced that KCR would soon meet Jagan in Andhra, to carry out further talks on the Front.
The political leaders in both parties hope that with YRSCP and TRS predicted to win a large chunk of the 25 seats in Andhra Pradesh and 17 seats in Telangana respectively, Jagan joining hands with KCR for the Federal Front could make it formidable, or least give the front significant bargaining power.