Bengaluru: Just ahead of the Karnataka Assembly elections scheduled to be held in May, and in the run up to the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, a meeting between Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao and Janata Dal (Secular) supremo Deve Gowda was held at the latter’s residence on Friday.
The meeting assumes significance as it is being viewed as a strategic political calculation to take on the two major national parties-the Congress and the BJP by floating a third front. Present at the meeting was noted Kannada actor Prakash Rai, who has vociferously voiced his disapproval of the policies of the NDA government, the Sangh Parivar and PM Modi in particular. As per sources, Raj is said to have urged the leaders to unite and defeat Modi.
In the context of Karnataka elections, Rao is expected to wield his influence and convert the Telugu Desam votes in favor of the JD(S).
KCR has so far met or spoken with a number of leaders from across the country for what is being referred to in some sections as a ‘federal front’. Announcing his intentions to push for such a front, KCR had said there would be no significant change even if the Congress replaces the BJP in power, and that only the names would differ. He has also not ruled out a possible alliance with Andhra Pradesh’s Telugu Desam Party after its exit from the NDA recently.
