KCR discusses Front plan, Mamata Banerjee stays mum
When Mr Rao met Ms Banerjee in March 2018 to discuss the federal front, she shared her ideas along with him at the press meet.
Hyderabad: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who is also on a mission to form her own political Front, surprisingly did not utter a word during the joint media conference with Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao (KCR) in Kolkata on Monday after the two leaders held discussions about the proposed new Federal Front.
When Mr Rao met Ms Banerjee in March 2018 to discuss the federal front, she shared her ideas along with him at the press meet. But this time she did not say a word and just stood by Mr Rao’s side as he briefed the media.
Mr Rao has stepped up his campaign to form a non-BJP, non-Congress Federal Front with a visit to Bhubaneswar where he met Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Sunday. He then went on to meet Ms Banerjee on Monday.
Mr Rao told the media: “After getting elected in the Assembly elections, I have started efforts for formation of a Federal Front, discussing with Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik yesterday (Monday). We had pleasant discussions, we discussed national politics and we will come with a concrete plan very soon.”
He said he would “continue dialogue in future also. I am not in a hurry. It is not a small thing to form the Federal Front. At the appropriate time we will come out with a strong plan.”
He said that their target was an alternative government at the Centre, to bring qualitative change in politics.
After the meeting with Mamata Banerjee, Mr Rao went to the Kalighat temple and offered special prayers.
Ms Banerjee is also keen to unite the Opposition parties and had met several opposition leaders, including Sharad Pawar of the NCP, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, and Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray. National Conference chief Farooq Abdullah met Ms Banerjee in Kolkata last Friday. In August, Ms Banerjee camped in Delhi and met a number of Opposition leaders.
Trinamul leaders, commenting on the Mr Rao’s meeting with Ms Banerjee, said that everyone wants to listen to Ms Banerjee and share their thoughts with her: They did not attach much importance to her meeting with Mr Rao.