Hyderabad: Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao and his Maharashtra counterpart Uddhav Thackeray have agreed to work together in the fight against the ‘divisive forces’ in the country. Thackeray is understood to have extended complete support to Chandrashekar Rao’s efforts to form an anti-BJP front.
Chandrashekar Rao on Sunday flew to Mumbai to meet Thackeray to discuss national politics and to cobble together an anti-BJP front with an eye on the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Chandrashekar Rao had a two-hour luncheon meeting with Thackeray at his official residence "Varsha".
Addressing a joint press conference later, Rao declared they were practically brothers since their states shared a 1,000-km border. Rao said a start had been made and an action plan would be decided only after meeting all other parties and leaders willing to join this movement. He stated that Hyderabad or any other city would host a conclave of these leaders to further discuss, deliberate and come up with a concrete action plan in the best interests of the country.
"You will get to see a good result of our meeting very soon. We will sit in Hyderabad or somewhere else in a few days and discuss more. I invite Uddhav Ji to come to Hyderabad and Telangana. I shall be meeting leaders in other parts of the country too."
Rao added, "Be it Shivaji Maharaj or Bala Saheb Thackeray, all the movements which started from Maharashtra were a big success. We are hopeful that we will succeed too. Central agencies are being misused in a very bad manner, and we condemn it. The Central government should change its policy, they'll suffer if they don't. The country has seen many such things."
"We have done an elaborate discussion on improving and expediting developmental issues and bringing structural and policy changes in the country. We've agreed on all the issues. We both are brothers because our states share 1,000 kms of the border. With the cooperation of the Maharashtra government, we built the Kaleshwaram project, which has immensely benefited Telangana," he added.
Rao said that he and Thackeray were in touch with leaders of various national and regional political parties which were willing to join forces. “We need a qualitative change in the country. We must strengthen the nation together. The ethos of nation and the youth should remain intact,” he said.
Thackeray stated that they had been planning this meeting for a long time and it materialised today as a result of the current political environment. Thackeray expressed concern over the ‘political environment’ prevailing in the country.
"A politics of vengeance of the lowest level has been unleashed across the country. Our Hindutva is not about taking revenge. Today the entire focus is on defaming others and trumpeting one’s achievements, while saying others have not done anything and resorting to lies," he said.
"If things continue like this, what is the future of the country? The atmosphere that should be there between states and the Centre is not seen today. This politics will not work, so we have made a fresh start,” Thackeray added.
