Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee at a press meet at Nabanna after holding a meeting on Monday. (Express photo by Subham Dutta)
After holding a meeting with West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday, Telangana chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao called for a “federal front” as an alternative political force to bring about a political change in the country. However, Rao did not give a clear answer whether the Congress would be a part of it but maintained that they would approach other political parties with their idea.
“Today we had a pleasant discussion. We have agreed on so many accounts and we are trying to bring in a real federal front for this country. This will be a like-minded group of political leaders. Today is just a beginning. Rest of the things we will make it clear when other leaders sit together and discuss to come to a consensus. Then we will take decisions further,” Rao said while speaking to reporters after his meeting at the state secretariat. Rao and Banerjee were jointly addressing the media following their meeting which lasted for more than one and half hours.
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Responding to queries whether it would be a non-Congress front, the Telangana chief minister said, “Today we met and we discussed a lot of things. You will come to know the full details in future because we only two cannot decide the whole thing. There are friends and there are like-minded people and we have to talk to all of them. We made a good beginning today and I am content that we will be able to carry it forward. Our front will be a bigger front. It will be completely different from the present routine model. It will be the people’s agenda. It is not mere Congress or BJP or KCR or Mamata. It is for the people of the country. For last 71 years what has been happening in the country? You want the same routine model to continue? What will happen if BJP goes out of power and Congress comes? Will it bring a miracle? The country at present needs some miracles. Something great needs to be done.”
Mamata Banerjee, who had already met Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray in Mumbai last year, said the federal front was aimed towards development of the country. (Express photo by Subham Dutta)
Meanwhile, Banerjee said that there is still time to hold talks with other parties to make this federal front strong. “It is a good beginning that both the states held discussions today. I think that politics is a continuous process. We have started the dialogue. Let others also to talk to each other. Automatically all will come together. We want the federal front to be strong. We have to work together as it is a collective family. Let us approach the other party also. Let us discuss this matter. We are not in a hurry. In politics it takes time… in the meantime, everybody is free to discuss. We will talk to other parties also,” the chief minister said.
Maintaining that one particular party should not rule the entire country, Banerjee said, “In politics there comes a time when every individual get to work together. We maintain good relationships with all parties. We have to respect each other. I don’t think that one particular party should rule the country and ask everybody to do what they want. Every party has its regional strength, national strength and its own identity. Everybody should work together.”