KCR meets Mamata to intensify bids for Federal Front sans BJP, Cong
A day after the BJP sealed its seat-sharing deal with Janata Dal(U) and the LJP in Bihar, the Congress revived its alliance with the NCP in Maharashtra on Monday. Away from the political manoeuvering of the BJP and the Congress, TRS supremo and Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao kept up his effort to float a Front excluding both these major players as he engaged with his West Bengal counterpart and TMC chief Mamata Banerjee.
Both the Congress and the NCP had contested the last Lok Sabha polls together but went separately in the Assembly polls held a few months later.
“In Maharashtra, the NCP and the Congress will together contest the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, along with the Peasants and Workers Party of India (PWI). Till now, we have decided seat-sharing on 40 seats, still eight are left. If any consensus is not reached on remaining eight seats then the final decision will be taken by the two party chiefs in New Delhi,” tweeted NCP president Sharad Pawar.
AICC sources in Delhi said the performance of the two parties in the in the 2014 Assembly polls has been the basis of the seat-sharing arrangment as then the Congress had won 61 seats, while the NCP 41.
“Our talks for seat-sharing with alliance partners have come to the final stage, which needs to be approved by the party leadership. The other minor issues that are left over sharing of seats will be resolved by Congress president Rahul Gandhi and NCP chief Sharad Pawar,” said Congress leader Ashok Chavan.
In the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, the Congress had fielded 27 candidates in Maharashtra, while the NCP had contested on 21 seats.
The Lok Sabha seats that are yet to be agreed upon includes Ahmednagar, Ratnagiri-Sindhudurg, Aurangabad, Yavatmal, Nashik, Nandurbar, and one in Mumbai which the Samajwadi Party is desiring to contest in case the SP-BSP and Congress alliance takes place in Uttar Pradesh.
A senior Congress leader said the NCP was keen to contest from Pune and Jalna Lok Sabha seats, which are from the Congress quota but said the NCP has now agreed to withdraw its demand.
Though the Congress is yet to decide its candidate from Pune, party insiders said a senior Shiv Sena leader, who is likely to defect, is being considered the party candidate from Jalna Lok Sabha constituency. State BJP president Raosaheb Danve is a four-time MP from this constituency.
Both the Congress and the NCP have also agreed to share three seats with other allies — Hatkanangale in Kolhapur for the Raju Shetti-led Swabhimani Paksha, Amravati in Vidarbha for the Rajendra Gawai-led Republican Party of India (RPI) and Akola for the Prakash Ambedkar-led Bharip Bahujan Mahasangh (BBM). The SP has also been demanding one seat in Mumbai.
Meanwhile, K Chandrashekhar Rao on Monday met Mamata Banerjee at Nabanna (Bengal State secretariat) in Kolkata where the two leaders engaged in a “productive discussion” over the possibilities of stitching together a viable Federal Front ahead of the 2019 general elections. Rao, who had just before the Assembly elections in his State, said his discussions with Mamata was quite encouraging.
“After meeting Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaikji, I have come to meet Mamata didi. Here we have a fruitful discussion. We shared the matters of mutual interest and national interest,” said KCR, adding the topics of discussion were “usual,” as they veered around “issues that are likely to crop up when two national leaders meet. We discussed certain issues that are crucial for the nation.”
On whether he still wanted a non-BJP, non-Congress Government at the Centre and whether he still was working towards that end, Rao said, “That is the mission of KCR. I will continue to give my efforts. This (a Federal Front) is not a small thing to do. Dialogues are going on and they will continue.”
On the future of the continuing dialogues, he said, “We will give you good news soon. Our talks will continue and we will come out with a concrete plan. We are discussing things. I will continue with my efforts,” he said. KCR is likely to meet SP chief Akhilesh Yadav and Bahujan Samaj Party supremo Mayawati in Delhi.
Rao is expected to stay in Delhi for a few days during which he is also likely to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi and some senior Union Ministers.
Earlier on the day KCR said the “country needs a change for which dialogue has begun. We are doing our part but nothing concrete has emerged. We have just begun the dialogue and we will meet again to discuss how to take things forward.”
Dwelling on the meeting with the Odisha Chief Minister, KCR said the leaders needed to talk to more people across the nation adding there was a “dire need for the unification of the regional parties as there is a strong need for an alternative to the Congress and BJP.”
Both Rao and Mamata had met in March when he had come to visit the Bengal Chief Minister in Kolkata. His Monday’s visit came days after the visit of former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah.