KCR meets Deve Gowda, seeks support for People’s Front

Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) leader and Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao on Friday met former Prime Minister and Janata Dal (Secular) supremo H.D. Deve Gowda and his son and former Karnataka Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy here on Friday, appealing to the party to join the People’s Front.

Speaking after the meeting, he urged political parties “under trap” by the Congress and the BJP to join People’s Front in the interest of the nation.

The front will be declaring a “big agenda” for farmers before 2019 and will be aligning masses and farmers, he added. “When we put an agenda before the nation, whoever wants to join are welcome. It’s only in the interest of the nation. We appeal to all to save the country,” said Mr. Rao.

Speaking to presspersons after the meeting with Mr. Gowda, Mr. Rao said that the Peoples’ Front is not aligning of two or three political parties. “The front we are contemplating will be the people’s front of India, farmers’ front or the common man’s front.” Mr. Rao, who has met Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in this connection, said that the Congress and the BJP, which together have ruled 65 years at the Centre, have failed miserably to deliver.

Announcing his party’s support to the JD(S), Mr. Rao said, “I will campaign for the party in the Hyderabad Karnataka region where Telugu speakers are in good numbers.

Actor Prakash Raj, who has been in news for his opposition to Sangh Parivar, and TRS Rajya Sabha member J. Santhosh Kumar accompanied Mr. Rao. JD(S) State president H.D. Kumaraswamy, who was also present during the meeting, later told presspersons that his party believes that there are “photo-finish” constituencies where Telugu-speaking people are in good numbers and the TRS support could swing the results in the favour of the JD(S). “In about 20 to 25 constituencies in Kalaburagi, Ballari, Bidar, and Raichur districts, TRS support will help. I will hold joint rallies with Mr. Gowda and Mr. Rao here,” he said. Mr. Kumaraswamy said the modalities for holding rallies with BSP supremo Mayawati were being worked out. “Most likely, she will be touring in the State on April 24 and 25,” he added.