KCR mulls Front to take on BJP, Congress

Hyderabad: Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao is eyeing to enter national politics. KCR is ready to take the lead and form an alternative front to take on the Congress and the BJP with the slogan of bringing qualitative change in national politics. This front, according to him, would be the ‘First Front’ in the national politics in 2019 elections which will work for qualitative and revolutionary changes in the country.

The Chief Minister spent over an hour interacting with media at his camp office Pragathi Bhavan and claimed that the ground work for changing the mood of the people was on and soon the tool that is required to move forward in that direction would emerge.

KCR did not elaborate on what kind of front it would be but said that the talks have already begun with like-minded people, intellectuals and others. Replying to a question, the Chief Minister said that he was ready to lead the new outfit and given a chance he would make the people of Telangana proud and would show the strength and calibre of Telangana.

Asked if he was aiming to become the Prime Minister, KCR shot back saying, “Don’t I have the right to work for the country?” He said he was ready to tour the states and campaign in the next elections if the front becomes a reality.

While claiming that the Prime Minister Narendra Modi was his best friend, KCR said he would plunge into national politics only after informing Modi about it. KCR said he has no hesitation in saying that the development under the NDA regime has been at a very slow pace.

He said if the new front comes into existence, it would usher in a new chapter in national politics. He said at the age of 64, he would use all his intelligence and the remaining part of his life to bring speedy changes in the lives of the people of the country.

KCR added that personally he had nothing against Modi but his fight was against the existing political system. Lashing at the BJP and Congress, he said the people were facing drinking water crisis and farmers were committing suicides. His party has been demanding increase in MSP (Minimum Support Price) to various crops but the Centre did not respond.

It also failed to implement the assurances that were given during the bifurcation, he said. KCR said in the last four years, the Centre did not give even one rupee extra than what was due to it under the Constitutional provisions. He also expressed his ire at the Centre for not bringing in a uniform law. Referring to the reservations for the Muslims and STs, he said Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu were allowed to have more percentage of reservations but in case of TS, the Centre was denying similar benefit under the guise of Supreme Court’s decision which had fixed 50 per cent cap on the reservations.

In a scathing attack on state BJP and Telangana Congress leaders, the Chief Minister said the leaders of the two parties were in frustration. The saffron party was on the brink of extinction in the state and the Congress will win not more than 10 seats in the next Assembly elections.

He fired a salvo at TPCC president N Uttam Kumar Reddy for throwing challenges on the winning prospects of the parties. Challenges will not yield results. People will only give mandate based on the performance of the parties and the governments, he added.