Soren calls on KCR during surprise visit

Hyderabad: In a sudden development, Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) chief and Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren arrived at Pragathi Bhavan to meet Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao on Thursday.

Soren reached Pragathi Bhavan around 8.30 pm. Official sources said both the leaders discussed the current political situation in the country and the need to bring about an alternative political agenda for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.

It is learnt that Soren arrived in Hyderabad on Thursday on a private visit and sought the CM’s appointment all of a sudden. Rao agreed to meet him soon after his return from Nalgonda district.

The CM toured Nalgonda during the day to review development programmes in the district and returned to the city by 6 pm.

Rao’s meeting with Soren assumed significance in the backdrop of the TRS plenary held on Wednesday in which he attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the Centre’s alleged “anti-farmer, anti-poor policies” and for the BJP’s “communal and divisive politics.”

Rao also stated that there was no need for setting up any political front or tents by bringing together a few political parties or CMs to dethrone anyone from power and stressed the need for setting an 'alternative political agenda' which should be both 'people-oriented and development oriented' to face the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. KCR also stated that he was not attempting to forge any anti-BJP front or any pro-party front but only trying to set up a People's Front to take up people's issues and problems.

It is learnt that both the CMs discussed fielding a joint opposition candidate for the upcoming Presidential election in July. They would consult chiefs of various regional parties for a consensus on this.

Rao had met Soren in Ranchi on March 4 to discuss national politics. He distributed Rs 10 lakh compensation each to two families of Galwan martyrs from Jharkhand on behalf of the Telangana government along with Soren.