Federal Front gets a shot in the arm

Hyderabad: At a time when reports began emanating that the initial enthusiasm of KCR in forming a federal front is petering out, it got a fresh dose of adrenalin when former Prime Minister and JD(S) patriarch H D Deve Gowda had a one-on-one session with Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao here on Sunday where they took stock of the status of the Opposition.

The meeting assumed importance in the wake of the JD(S) handing out a threat to the Congress that if created unfavourable conditions to Karnataka Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy, it might look at the option of joining hands with the BJP. At present JD(S) and Congress are coalition partners of Karnataka government.

According to sources, the former Prime Minister was in Hyderabad to attend wedding of grandson of Congress leader and MP T Subbarami Reddy. Deve Gowda met the Chief Minister, Municipal Administration Minister K T Rama Rao, Mayor B Rammohan and others at Camp Office Pragathi Bhavan. The Chief Minister offered him a shawl and citation. 

The CMO officials said that it was a courtesy call by the former Prime Minister. Earlier, Rao visited Deve Gowda at his residence in Bengaluru before the Karnataka Assembly elections and urged people to support JD(S). However, the JDS had tie up with Congress party and H D Kumaraswamy became the Chief Minister with the support of Congress.

The meeting assumes importance as Gowda has already hinted at early elections and discussed the prospect with the Chief Minister. Both the former Prime Minister and Chief Minister discussed news reports that early elections may take place and poll preparedness.

They are likely to sit and discuss regularly to design and frame the agenda and policy for the Federal Front. They are understood to have shared their views on the new platform to take on against the two national parties and talked on current political scenario elsewhere in the country. After meeting the Telangana Chief Minister, Deve Gowda left for Bengaluru in a special flight from Begumpet airport.