Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao met Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik at the latter’s residence Naveen Niwas here on Sunday.
Speaking to mediapersons, Patnaik said, “We discussed matters of national interest. We will take the talks forward. We also discussed the Polavaram issue and women’s reservation issue in Parliament.”
“We discussed several things including friendship of like-minded parties. We’ve not thought about Parliament elections so far. He (KCR) came to Odisha to offer thanks to Lord Jagannath for his tremendous victory,” Patnaik added.
Rao said: “We need to talk to more people across the nation. There’s a dire need for the unification of regional parties as there’s a strong need for an alternative to Congress and BJP.”
The country needs a change for which dialogue has begun, we’re doing our part but nothing concrete has emerged. We’ve just begun the dialogue; we would meet again to discuss how to take things forward,” the Telangana CM added.
However, All India Congress Committee in-charge of Telangana Rama Chandra Khuntia said, “KCR is acting like a ‘B team’ of the BJP-led NDA in the country.”
“PM Narendra Modi has conspired to form the B-team in the name of Regional Federation and is meant to weaken the national-level grand alliance or the Mahagathbandhan which is taking shape at the Centre,” Khuntia alleged.
Reacting to Khuntia’s allegation Rao said, “We are nobody’s B-team. We are our own team.”
Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan in reaction to the proposed Third Front said, “If zero is added to a zero, the result is the same zero. People will give a befitting reply to these people. Every party has got a chance to rule Odisha. This time, there will be a change and the BJP will form Government.