TL-TRS-LD YSRC

Jaganmohan Reddy welcomes KCR's efforts to form Federal Front

(Eds; adding details)

Hyderabad, Jan 16 (PTI): YSR Congress chief Jaganmohan

Reddy Wednesday welcomed TRS chief K Chandrasekhar Rao's

efforts to form a non-BJP, non Congress Federal Front, saying

it was necessary for regional parties to unite to highlight

the 'injustice' done to them.

He said this at a joint press conference with Rao's son

and Telangana Rashtriya Samithi working President K T Rama Rao

after initial talks were held between the two parties.

"We welcome the initiative. In order to protect the

rights of the states, there is a necessity to increase the

number (of MPs from regional parties in Parliament) and for

regional parties to unite.

The proposed national platform mooted by KCR, where all

states (regional parties) can come forward with substantial

number of MPs, can highlight the injustice being done to the

states.

For further discussions, KCR will come and meet me at a

later stage. We will discuss at length within our party on how

to take forward this in future," Reddy, the leader of the

opposition in the Andhra Pradesh assembly, said.

Rama Rao confirmed this, saying his father would soon

leave for Andhra Pradesh to hold talks with Jagan Mohan Reddy.

"KCR garu (KCR) earlier visited various states and held

discussions with regional parties and leaders and Chief

Ministers.

Very soon he will visit Andhra Pradesh to meet Jaganmohan

Reddy. He will discuss all the issues with him and move

further," he said.

Rao expressed confidence that like minded forces, who

believe in strengthening regional parties and states, would

come together.

On Special category Status for Andhra Pradesh, he said

the promise made by the earlier governments would have been

fulfilled had there been support from more number of MPs.

Reiterating his support for SCS to Andhra Pradesh, Rama

Rao said that his party had time and again demanded that

the Centre confer the status to the neighbouring state.

KCR, as he is popularly known, had met Trinamool Congress

(TMC) supremo and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee

on January 10 as part of his renewed efforts towards forging a

'non-Congress, non-BJP' federal front of regional parties.

Rao had also met Odisha Chief Minister and Biju Janata

Dal (BJP) chief Naveen Patnaik and Karnataka Chief Minister H

D Kumaraswamy, seeking to drum up support for the front.

Reacting to the meeting, AICC spokesperson Sravan Dasoju

said the two 'political opportunists' came together to protect

the larger interests of BJP.

"The Federal front is a facade of Narendra Modi. YSRCP is

a party which has opposed tooth and nail the formation of

Telangana. And it is dubious on the part of TRS to say that

YSRCP will be helpful in the development of Telangana or

mutual development," Sravan told PTI.

He alleged that TRS and YSRCP are protecting their mutual

business interests and that of BJP.