Chandrababu Naidu calls on Mamata to discuss federal front

Telugu Desam Party president N. Chandrababu Naidu Monday held discussions with West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee about forming a federal front of regional parties opposed to both the Congress and the BJP.

Naidu, a former Andhra Pradesh chief minister, called on Banerjee, the Trinamool Congress supremo, at the state secretariat Nabanna in Howrah district. He described the 30-minute meeting as "positive".

Banerjee had proposed a non-Congress, non-BJP Federal front, and laid stress on the concept again at a Trinamool rally in the city Jan 30.

Asked about other parties game to joining the Front, the TDP chief said that "discussions are on with various political parties on the formation of the Federal Front".

"Let's see... We will," he said to a query whether the front will get enough seats to come to power after the coming general elections.

The Naidu-Banerjee meeting took place on the same day Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar held informal talks with former prime minister and Janata Dal-Secular chief Deve Gowda and Communist Party of India-Marxist general secretary Prakash Karat regarding a non-Congress, non-BJP front.

To a poser on the Telangana issue, Naidu replied: "We are opposed to the division of the state (Andhra Pradesh)".