Lagatar24 Desk
New Delhi, Feb 20:Telangana chief minister K Chandrashekhar Rao met Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray and his cabinet ministers in Mumbai on Sunday.
The meeting comes in the backdrop of some opposition parties trying to cobble together an anti-BJP front with an eye on the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut also attended the meeting.
‘Discussed several issues, there is a need for structural and policy changes in the country. We have agreed on almost all issues. We shall soon meet together in Hyderabad or elsewhere and draw up a future plan. Central agencies are being misused in a very bad manner, condemn it. The central govt should change their policy, they’ll suffer if they don’t,’ Rao said after his meeting with Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackery and others.
‘You will get to see a good result of our meeting soon. I invited Uddhav ji to come to Telangana. I shall be meeting leaders in other parts of the country too,’ he added.
We've done an elaborate discussion on improving and expediting developmental issues and bringing structural and policy changes in the country. We've agreed on all the issues: Telangana CM KCR in a joint press conference with Maha CM Uddhav Thackrey in Mumbai pic.twitter.com/OZ5JANqM7j
— ANI (@ANI) February 20, 2022
Uddhav Thackeray too expressed concern over the ‘political environment in the country.’
‘A politics of vengeance of the lowest level has been unleashed across the country. Our Hindutva is not about taking revenge. Today the entire focus is on defaming others and trumpeting one’s achievements, while saying others have not done anything and resorting to lies,’ he said.
Thackeray also said that there should be friendly relations between states. Pending issues with Telangana that shares over a 1000 km border with Maharashtra will be sorted out, although it might take some time, he added.
The BJP took a dig at Thackeray, with party leader Kirit Somaiya asking if Thackeray has sought permission from Congress chief Sonia Gandhi before scheduling the meeting with KCR.
‘A similar meeting had happened between West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee and Thackeray, with an attempt non- Congress non-BJP front. But within a few days, Shiv Sena ruled out any alliance with her,’ Somaiya said.
KCR also met NCP chief Sharad Pawar post his meeting with Thackeray.
KCR could meet CMs from other non-NDA states lke West Bengal, Tamil Nadu and RJD’s Lalu Prasad in the days ahead. Former Prime Minister HD Devegowda of JDS is learnt to have extended his support to KCR for the initiative.
Mamata Banerjee and MK Stalin have also shown their interests in forming an anti-BJP front. Further movement on this is expected after results of the on-going assembly elections in five states are declared.
Stalin had also said that chief ministers of non-NDA-ruled states would soon hold a convention in Delhi.
