Collective leadership in non-Cong, non-BJP front: KCR on meeting Mamata Banerjee

Kolkata: Telangana chief minister K Chandrashekhar Rao met his West Bengal counterpart and TMC chief Mamata Banerjee in Kolkata on Monday.

The meeting, which was held at the West Bengal secretariat Nabanna, was a part of KCR's move to form a non-BJP and non Congress alternative.

Following the meeting, KCR said, "It will be a collective leadership, it will be a federal leadership."

Talking to the media, Mamata said, “It is a good beginning. I think politics is a continuous process, whatever we have discussed is aimed towards development of the country”.

After Rao, president of the ruling Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS), recently proposed formation of a non-Congress and non-BJP front at the national level, ahead of the next years Lok Sabha polls, Banerjee had spoken to him over phone, extending her support.

Elaborating on the meeting between the two chief ministers, TRS sources on Sunday told news agency PTI, "The discussions will focus on creating some kind of regional formation for setting up a political front with like-minded parties and for creating an agenda for the country's growth."

Meanwhile, the Telangana BJP unit on Sunday said the proposed meeting clearly highlighted KCR’s 'desperate attempts' to make himself relevant in national politics.

Mooting the alternative, Rao had called for a "qualitative change" in politics and had also announced that he was ready to take on the mantle of leading a political front.

On March 4, Mamata Banerjee spoke to Rao over phone and conveyed her complete support on his statement that he was keen to participate in national politics to bring about "qualitative changes" in governance.

Alleging that successive governments ruled by both the Congress and BJP at the Centre have miserably failed to ensure development of the country, Rao had earlier said he will talk with all like-minded parties and leaders for creating an agenda for the country's growth.

Telangana BJP spokesperson Krishna Saagar Rao on Sunday alleged that Rao's travel to Kolkata to meet the West Bengal chief minister also 'exposes the lies' planted by his office few weeks ago that Mamata Banerjee called him in support of his plan for forming the new front.

"KCR is seriously suffering from trust deficit with other regional parties in India. No one trusts his style of politics, as we see he will end up with Congress led UPA. He is only trying to increase his bargaining capacity with Congress party by manufacturing the 'national front' idea,” the BJP leader claimed.

(With inputs from PTI)