Stalin meets KCR in Chennai; refuses to join federal front

Chennai: Finally, Telangana chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao (KCR) and DMK president MK Stalin met on Monday (May 13). The one-hour long meeting ended with a cordial status quo.

According to media reports, KCR asked Stalin to join the federal front and the latter extended his guest an invite to join the UPA. It is also reported that it is also decided that the regional leaders should stick together and bargain for more power to the states.

Meanwhile, it is also said that KCR had explained the need for a third front without the Congress and BJP. But Stalin is still stuck with his commitment to the Congress, as he was the first to propose Rahul Gandhi's name for prime ministership. It is also being reported that Stalin did not mention about the third front or federal front at least once in the meeting.

Earlier, KCR, who floated the idea of a non-Congress, non-BJP front some time ago, met his Kerala counterpart Pinarayi Vijayan on May 6. It’s learnt the duo discussed contemporary national politics, post-poll political scenario and possible options after the elections.

With only phase of polls, on May 19, to go before the counting of votes on May 23, KCR is believed to be planning meetings with top leaders across parties, in a bid to form a government that doesn’t involve the BJP or Congress.

KCR, who mooted the idea of federal front, a consortium of regional parties in March last year, as an alternative to both the BJP and Congress, held talks with leaders of the Trinamool Congress, Biju Janata Dal, Samajwadi Party, Janata Dal (S) and DMK. He also invited the YSRCP to join the proposed front.

KCR, on several occasions, expressed that he is confident that a non-BJP and non-Congress parties would form the next government at the Centre.

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