KT Rama Rao meets Jaganmohan Reddy for Federal Front, talks with K Chandrasekhar Rao soon

Jan 16 (AZINS) In a bid to take the idea of a non-Congress, non-BJP Federal Front forward, TRS leader KT Rama Rao on Wednesday met YSR Congress Party chief Jaganmohan Reddy in Hyderabad. The leaders said the meeting was preliminary in nature and that TRC chief K Chandrasekhar Rao, or KCR, would soon hold talks with Jagan in Andhra Pradesh.

The meeting dashed speculation that the YSR Congress might be open to aligning with the BJP for the coming Lok Sabha and Assembly elections in Andhra Pradesh. The party is the main opposition in the Andhra Pradesh Assembly, and is facing the prospect of the ruling TDP confirming its alliance with the severely depleted Congress.

KT Rama Rao, commonly referred to as KTR, and Jagan together addressed reporters after the meeting, which lasted about 90 minutes. "KCR has floated the federal front idea to fight against the indifferent attitude of the Centre towards States. He had met TMC chief Mamata Banerjee, Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik, DMK leader Stalin, Karnataka CM Kumaraswamy and others. As part of this exercise, he rang up Jagan on Tuesday and the YSRC chief invited us for talks," KTR said, according to The New Indian Express.

For his part, Jagan said the idea of joining the Federal Front would be discussed threadbare within his party. He spoke broadly in support of the idea of a Federal Front, saying it was an important initiative for states rules by regional parties as their unity would give them the numerical strength in Parliament, which would make them difficult to ignore.

"AP has 25 MP seats and if we get the support of Telangana's 17 MPs, there is a chance of the State getting justice. Numerical strength of the States must increase if they are to get justice, only then will the Centre think twice," Jagan said.

In his bid to set up the Federal Front, KCR has so far met with the leaders of a number of regional parties. He has so far held talks with Trinamool chief Mamata Banerjee, JDS leader HD Deve Gowda, DMK's MK Stalin and BJD's Naveen Patnaik, apart from leaders from other states.