Having deliberated at length on the need to float an Opposition front to take on the ruling BJP in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, Chief Ministers of Telangana and Maharashtra said here on Sunday that “there is need for parivartan (change) in the country” and that they had made a "new" and “good beginning” at their meeting.After a length-lengthy luncheon meeting with Uddhav Thackeray – at which the two leaders discussed inter-state and political issues, KC Chandrashekhar Rao (KCR) -- also met NCP chief Sharad Pawar at the latter's Silver Oak residence in south Mumbai and discussed the ways to cobble an anti-BJP front for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.At a joint interaction with the media after their meeting, the Telangana Chief Minister said, “We have made a good beginning. You will get to see a good result of our meeting very soon. Uddhav and I have been talking to the leaders of like-minded regional and national parties. Both Uddhav and I feel that there is need for parivartan (change) in the country. In the coming days, we will all meet in Hyderabad or some other place to prepare a joint road map for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.”
Describing Uddhav as his brother, KCR said, “We are like brothers. Our two States share a border of 1,000 km. I felt very happy to meet him. We had a lengthy discussion on various issues. There was an agreement between us many of the issues. With an aim to bring about progress, increase the pace of development, make some structural changes in governance and policies in the country, we have decided to work together in future. I invite Uddhav to come to Telangana.”
“With the cooperation of the Maharashtra Government, we built the Kaleshwaram project. Telangana has benefitted immensely from the project,” KCR said.The TRS chief -- who has been criticising the ruling BJP on various issues for the past few weeks and had recently demanded the immediate dismissal of Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma for making unsavoury remarks about former Congress president and MP Rahul Gandhi – slammed the Modi Government for “misusing” Central investigating agencies against its political opponents.
“We condemn the manner in which central probe agencies are being misused. The Centre must change its policies or it will face the consequences,” KCR said.Accusing the BJP of practising “vindictive politics”, Uddhav said,
“The atmosphere prevailing in the country is not good. The vindictive politics practised by some people is not good. It is not part of our Hindutva culture. It does not augur well for the country. It does not matter who becomes the Chief Minister or Prime Minister. We have to think about what will happen to the country...
”Hitting out at the Modi Government for its failure to address the “fundamental issues” facing the country, Uddhav said, “What we are witnessing is that some people are not bothering to deal with the fundamental issues facing the country. Instead, they are trying to defame others.”Stressing on the need for States co-operating with one another, Uddhav said, “There is a need for the States have cordial relations between them. States cannot function in an ad hoc manner without bothering about national interest.”The Maharashtra Chief Minister said that “a new beginning” had been made at the meeting between him and KCR. “It will take some for things to take shape. We all have to work hard. But, I am confident that our effort will yield results. We will keep posted about the progress that we will make in the coming days.”Talking about the meeting he had with KCR, Pawar said, “Our discussions were based on principles and the problems confronting the country. It's our responsibility to show the way to the countrymen, solve the problems of farmers and commoners.”On his part, KCR said, “Pawar is our senior leader. He supported our agitation (for Telangana State) right from 1969 till its birth (2014). We feel the country is not being run properly, development is stalled and the expected progress has not taken place.”At Sunday’s Uddhav-KCR meeting, several of Maharashtra Ministers, Sena MPs Sanjay Raut and Arvind Sawant, the Chief Minister’s son Tejas Thackeray were present. Senior NCP leaders, including Praful Patel, were present at the meeting between Pawar and KCR.The Telangana Chief Minister was accompanied among others by his MLC- daughter K. Kavitha, MPs Ranjit Reddy, Santosh Kumar, B.P. Patil, MLAs Palla R. Reddy, TRS General Secretary Shravan Reddy and southern actor Prakash Raj.The TRS chief, who has taken the lead in forging an alliance among the non-BJP parties for the 2024 Lok Sabha, is expected to meet the Chief Ministers of non-NDA States like West Bengal, Tamil Nadu and RJD's Lalu Prasad in the days ahead.While former Prime Minister and JDS leader HD Devegowda has already extended his support to KCR for the initiative, Mamata Banerjee and MK Stalin have also evinced interest in floating an anti-BJP front for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.