TRS bats for 'third front' idea for avoiding 'dictating terms' to regional parties

The TRS is hopeful of the BJD, YSRCP, and even the BSP and SP buying the idea of its President K Chandrasekhar Rao on forging a non-Congress, non-BJP federal front of regional parties, a key party leader indicated Thursday. On Congress, TMC and other opposition parties Wednesday speaking of a common agenda and pre-poll ties to take on the BJP, Telangana Rashtra Samiti leader B Vinod Kumar said with general elections nearing, outfits crafting their own strategy is natural.

"For us, it's not an issue. For us, it's not important. We have our own strategy", the deputy floor leader of TRS in Lok Sabha told PTI, noting that his party has been promoting the idea of a federal front in recent months. "We (regional parties) should have our own strategy", he said voicing opposition to regional outfits aligning with the "so-called" national parties -- the Congress and BJP.

During UPA-1 rule, the Congress had 147 seats but it "dictated terms to regional parties on whose strength it formed the government", Kumar claimed. "TRS' view is that regional political parties should unite, coordinate among themselves and talk to national parties", the Karimnagar Lok Sabha member said.

"So, definitely the view of TRS would continue and before general elections, we will sell this idea to all regional parties who are independent like us, and also parties who are with NDA and also with UPA," Kumar said. He said the TRS was hopeful of Biju Janata Dal (BJD), YSR Congress Party (YSRCP), even Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and Samajwadi Party (SP) buying Rao's federal front idea.

"We have strength in our idea, many political pundits may or may not have understood it. But that's the reality. We can talk (about the impact of a federal front) in the month of June (after Lok Sabha election results are known)", he said. Asked if the TRS would extend support to the YS Jagan Mohan Reddy-led YSRCP in Assembly and Lok Sabha elections in Andhra Pradesh, due by May, Kumar said, "there is no need for him (Reddy) to have the support of us because we have no role there in Andhra Pradesh politics".

"We have not even a single voter (in Andhra Pradesh). We never had our party unit there (in Andhra Pradesh). We supported that party (YSRCP) does not arise", he said. On Rao's statement that his party would give a "return gift" to N Chandrababu Naidu-led TDP which contested last year's Telangana elections in alliance with the Congress to take on the TRS, Kumar said, "That we will give in our own way. In the coming days, you will see".

(With inputs from agencies.)