Kolkata: In a major development on forging the much-talked about 'third front' — a non-BJP and non-Congress federal front — before the Lok Sabha polls, Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao on Monday met his West Bengal counterpart Mamata Banerjee.
The TRS leader called it the "beginning of the whole thing".
While KCR stuck to his narrative of forming an alliance without the BJP and Congress, Banerjee on the other hand refused to divulge any such plans and held her cards close to her chest.
"There is a need to move beyond the BJP and Congress, they haven't done anything for the nation," the Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) chief said.
KCR and Banerjee addressed the media after their brief meeting in Kolkata on Monday and said in unison that the "country needs a change". The Telangana leader added, "Talks have just started and we will approach other parties to take it ahead."
Talking to journalists after the meeting, Rao said the process for creation of a federal front has begun and he would now talk to like-minded parties.
K Chandrashekhar Rao, with the Bengal CM by his side, said, "Our front will be a bigger front, which will be different from the routine model. There is a need for political alternatives and the country needs a change."
Banerjee agreed and added, "It is a good beginning. I think politics is a continuous process, whatever we have discussed is aimed towards development of the country."
"Politics throws at you situations where you have to work with different people. I believe in politics," she said.
KCR was also expected to discuss the strategy that the two parties will adopt on the no-confidence motion being moved by the Telugu Desam Party and YSR Congress against the NDA government in the Lok Sabha.
The meeting took place at the state secretariat, ‘Nabanna’ and those in attendance are TRS MPs AP Jithender Reddy, K Keshava Rao and Telangana chief adviser Rajiv Sharma.
Alleging that successive governments ruled by both the Congress and BJP at the Centre have miserably failed to ensure development of the country, Rao had earlier said he will talk with all like-minded parties and leaders for creating an agenda for the country's growth.
The CMO had also earlier said KCR is chalking out a programme to hold series of meetings at the all India level with various organisations, associations and individuals shortly.
According to sources, TRS is also in talks with Samajwadi Party, DMK and some miffed BJP allies like Shiv Sena to join the alternative front.
Also, Andhra Pradesh chief minister and Telugu Desam Party president N Chandrababu Naidu had previously hinted at forging an electoral alliance with the TRS in Telangana.
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