KCR meets Stalin, DMK calls it courtesy call (2nd Lead)

Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao on Monday had an hour-long meeting with DMK President M.K. Stalin here but it appeared that his proposal for a non-BJP, non-Congress coalition didn't have takers.

Rao left Stalin's residence without meeting the mediapersons. Promptly, the DMK issued a brief statement saying Rao had called on Stalin at his residence out of courtesy.

But it was known that the Telangana Chief Minister Rao would rake up the issue of a non-Congress, non-BJP grouping after the Lok Sabha election results are declared.

Stalin had earlier proposed Congress President Rahul Gandhi's name for the Prime Minister's post and continues to stick to that.

Apart from Stalin, other senior DMK leaders were present at the meeting with Rao.

Rao had earlier met Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and spoken to Karnataka Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy in his efforts to bring in a non-BJP, non-Congress government after the Lok Sabha election results are out.

A DMK leader had earlier told IANS that the stability of the government at the Centre may be an issue as previous experiences at a non-BJP, non-Congress government were not good.

Last year, Rao met Stalin here and discussed issues related to state autonomy, finances and the political situation.

KCR, as the founder of the Telangana Rashtra Samithi is widely known, is a strong votary of federalism and secularism.

Earlier on Monday, Rao prayed at the Sri Ranganathaswamy temple in Srirangam near Trichy in Tamil Nadu.

--IANS

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