From Owaisi to Mamata, KCR’s third front gains support

NEW DELHI: A day after he announced his entry into national politics, Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) supremo and chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao has received support from various political leaders of the country, including West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee and All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief Asaduddin Owaisi.


"From morning, I have been receiving many calls from various places in India. This afternoon West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee called me and said that I have taken the right decision and she will be supporting me and that we will go forward together," Rao said.



Today, a day after his decision to enter national politics, Rao targeted both, the BJP and the Congress, and said that they have failed to provide an efficient government to the people of this country.

"Congress and BJP have miserably failed in governance. We see farmers’ suicides, why is this happening even after 70 years of independence? They've divided people in the name of caste, religion and politics but not doing justice to people," Rao said.

He also slammed the four-year-old NDA government at the Centre saying that they have failed to bring about the change they had promised.

"After Congress we voted for BJP, what happened in these four years? Nothing changed. Medical, education, agriculture, and urban development should be handed over to state governments, but they aren’t doing so and Centre is keeping all these departments in their hands," he added.

Following Rao's decision, TMC supremo Banerjee, in a telephonic conversation with Rao, conveyed her complete support and said she agreed with the Rao’s opinion that there is a necessity to bring a qualitative change in the country's politics.

"Ham aap se ekmat hain. Aap ke saath rahange (I am in agreement with you. I will work with you)," she told KCR, as Rao is popularly known.

On Saturday, Rao had announced that he will be foraying into the national politics with an aim to bring about a "qualitative change" into the politics of the country.

"There is need for qualitative change in the national politics....There is a serious need. People are vexed now," he said.

BJP leader and Chhattisgarh CM Raman Singh responded to Rao's decision and said that no political alliance can defeat the BJP.

"Third Front? No matter how many fronts come up, no power in the world can defeat BJP," Singh said.


At a press meet today, actor-turned-politician and Jana Sena founder Pawan Kalyan, too, welcomed Rao's statement and said he was extending his support.

Earlier in the day, AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi also welcomed Rao's comments and said regional parties will be the key to government formation after the next parliamentary polls and that the Telangana chief minister will play an important role in the process.

The Hyderabad MP told reporters on Sunday that the statement by the TRS chief would have a far reaching impact on national politics.

The AIMIM president hoped that KCR will play a pivotal role in bringing together non-Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and non-Congress parties.

"He rightly said people are vexed with the BJP governance and Congress is not becoming a viable alternative nor can it become one," said the MP.

At least two MPs from Maharashtra as well as several prominent persons from different walks of life expressed their support to KCR over phone, a press release from Rao’s office said.

Meanwhile, a large number of people, besides prominent leaders of the ruling TRS, today reached Pragathi Bhavan, the official residence of the chief minister, apparently to express solidarity with Rao.

Television channels showed a number of Telangana ministers, MPs, MLAs, MLCs and corporation chairmen reaching Pragathi Bhavan.