TRS leaders meet Jagan to discuss proposed Federal Front

Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) Working President K.T. Rama Rao met YSR Congress Party President Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy here on Wednesday to discuss the proposed Federal Front.

Rama Rao, who is the son of Telangana Chief Minister and TRS President K. Chandrashekhar Rao, also known as KCR, along with three other leaders of the party met Jaganmohan Reddy, who is the Leader of Opposition in the Andhra Pradesh Assembly.

The TRS leaders drove to Jaganmohan Reddy's Lotus Pond residence around 1 p.m. The leaders of the two parties are expected to brief the media after the meeting.

Earlier, KTR, as Rama Rao is popularly known, tweeted that on the direction of KCR he would be meeting Jaganmohan Reddy to discuss modalities on working together to strengthen a federal alternative to the National Democratic Alliance and the United Progressive Alliance.

This is the first direct talks between the leaders of the two parties since KCR floated the idea of the Federal Front in 2018.

The TRS chief has already held talks with West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, Janata Dal (United) leader and former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda, former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav and DMK leader M.K. Stalin.

After taking over as the Chief Minister for a second term following the TRS' victory in December's elections, KCR intensified his efforts to cobble together the Federal Front.

The TRS leaders are also likely to discuss with Jaganmohan Reddy the possibility of their working together in Andhra Pradesh to defeat the ruling Telugu Desam Party (TDP) in the ensuing elections in the neighbouring state.

KCR in December dropped hints to this effect with a remark that he will "return the gift" to Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister and TDP President N. Chandrababu Naidu. He was referring to Naidu campaigning extensively in the Telangana elections.

The Congress-led Grand Alliance comprising the TDP and two other parties suffered a crushing defeat in the Telangana polls.

--IANS

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