After meeting Stalin, Rao drops ‘third front’ idea

Telengana chief-minister Chandrasekhara Rao has said that he wasn’t having any idea to moot a non-BJP, non-Congress third front at the national level comprising like-minded regional and national parties.

After calling on DMK president M. Karunanidhi at the latter’s Gopalapuram residence in Chennai to inquire about his health, Rao met DMK’s working president Stalin at the latter’s Alwarpet residence.  The luncheon meeting between the two leaders lasted more than a couple of hours.  It was expected that Rao would try to get Stalin to join the third front, severing the party’s alliance with the Congress.

Speaking to newsmen after meeting Stalin, Rao said “I discussed many issues with my brother Stalin.  I’m happy that I met DMK president Karunanidhi after many years.  We always want India to remain a secular country and have been working to ensure that the status remains the same.  We discussed plenty of issues including farmers’ problems.  I also invited Stalin to attend farmers’ meet on 10th May.”

On another note, he said that he didn’t moot the idea of forming any third or fourth fronts.  “I discussed the Centre-State relations with Stalin and about self-rule for the States.  The BJP-led Centre hasn’t been acting well in dealing with education, healthcare, water facilities, etc.  We also discussed about ways of getting additional powers and financial resources from the Centre,” Rao concluded.

He also hinted that he would reveal about a grand-alliance plans during the time of Parliamentary elections next year.