CM KCR meets HD Kumaraswamy amid buzz over launch of TRS’s national outfit

Former Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy on Sunday, September 11 called on Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao in Hyderabad. The Janata Dal (Secular) leader met KCR at the latter's official residence Pragati Bhavan. The Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) leader hosted lunch for Kumaraswamy. According to the Chief Minister's Office, the two leaders discussed the development of Telangana, the role of regional parties in national politics, the key role chief minister KCR should play in national politics in the present situation and other national political issues.

The meeting assumes significance in the wake of KCR's efforts to bring together like-minded parties ahead of the 2024 general election. The TRS leader, who is trying to forge an alliance against the Union government led by BJP, has been holding talks with leaders of various regional parties. KCR met Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and Deputy Chief Minister Tejaswi Yadav in Patna on August 31. The TRS chief had earlier visited Bengaluru and called on former Prime Minister Deve Gowda and Kumaraswamy.

In his recent public meetings in the state, KCR has spoken about Telangana playing a vibrant role in national politics. The TRS, in its Foundation Day event in April this year, had adopted a political resolution resolving that the party should play the key role in national politics for the wider interest of the country as the BJP is exploiting "communal sentiments" for its political convenience. KCR has met a number of non-BJP, non-Congress opposition leaders, including Nitish Kumar, Sharad Pawar, Uddhav Thackeray and Hemant Soren and discussed the BJP's alleged anti-people policies and bringing about a "qualitative change in the country".

In June this year, KCR had discussed the idea of floating a national party with the TRS leaders though no final decision was taken on the idea, TRS sources had then said. Some names like 'Bharat Rashtriya Samiti' (BRS), 'Ujwal Bharat Party' and 'Naya Bharat Party' were discussed for the new outfit, they had claimed.