Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao today paid a visit to Biju Janta Dal supremo and Odisha Chief Miniter Naveen Patnaik, and discussed forming a ‘Federal Front’ ahead of 2019 Lok Sabha elections. The front is proposed to counter not only BJP but also Congress-led Mahagatbandhan.
The motive of the ‘Third Front’ or ‘Federal Front’ is to form a regional alliance and fight against national Parties like Congress and BJP, and to empower regional satraps.
“The discussion to forge a new front has begun. Efforts are being made to bring like-minded parties on the same platform, however, nothing significant has materialised yet. We will meet again in a few days,” KC Rao said after meeting with Patnaik. CM Patnaik, who has so far maintained an equidistant position from Congress and BJP, also hinted towards the formation of an alliance of like-minded leaders.
This is seen as one of the first concrete steps taken by KC Rao to enter the national stage in politics after the recently concluded assembly elections in Telangana, where his party TRS retained throne with a thumping majority, giving a jolt to Congress-TDP alliance in the state. Following the win, KC Rao’s daughter K Kavitha had reiterated the party’s decision to form ‘Federal Front’, that is free of either Congress and BJP.
“A federal front is being floated. We believe that a neutral platform should be established which is free of both BJP and Congress. Our agenda is to address the people of this nation. There have been various political groupings in the country which failed while few succeeded.” K Kavitha had said.
Before Karnataka assembly elections, KC Rao had pledged support to Janta Dal (Secular) of Deve Gowda in elections, against BJP and Congress. He had also met with DMK’s leader Stalin, to cobble up a ‘Federal Front’ against BJP and Congress. However, JD (S) allied with Congress after elections, to prevent BJP from coming to power. DMK’s Stalin, also announced support to Congress President Rahul Gandhi, to be PM face for Mahagtabnadhan.
KC Rao will also meet Bengal Chief Minister this week, to receive her support for the Federal Front. Both in past have met and discussed Federal Front, while Mamta Banerjee never discarded the idea, she also, however, has not expressed willingnesses for it.
He reportedly will also meet Uttar Pradesh party leaders, Mayawati of BSP and Akhilesh Yadav of Samajwadi Party to persuade them to join the front. According to reports, SP and BSP have reached an agreement on seat-sharing to forge an alliance, while keeping Congress at bay with two seats (Rae Bareilly and Amethi).
This third alliance is not going well with leaders of Congress led Mahagatbandhan. Recently, at India Today conclave Andhra Pradesh CM Chandrababu Naidu criticised KC Rao for forming Federal Front and said that it will only to help BJP in elections by splitting votes.
At the conclave, Naidu reiterated said that regional forces can only choose between Congress and BJP, and there is no other way around. He asked KC Rao to make a choice and become part of Congress alliance.
“Who is KCR? He was part of TDP, a minister in my government. He parted ways. He can always come back.” Naidu said referring to the fact that KC Rao was once a part of TDP, which he joined under the leadership of founder NT Rama Rao. Rao had left TDP in 2001, and formed his own party to bolster demand of separate state of Telangana.
The dialogues initiated by KC Rao and acknowledged by regional parties can materialise into a big blow to aspirations of the Mahagatbandhan forged by Congress. The decisions of leaders like Naveen Patnaik, Mamta Banerjee, Mayawati and Akhilesh Yadav will ascertain the winds of Lok Sabha elections depending on whether they will go for Congress Mahgatbandhan or the KC Rao led Federal Front.
