KTR hints at BRS leading a third front in 2024 Lok Sabha polls

HYDERABAD: Amid the rift within the ‘INDIA’ bloc following West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress (TMC) Chief Mamata Banerjee and Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann’s decision to go solo in their respective states in Lok Sabha polls, Bharat Rashtra Samiti (BRS) leader KT Rama Rao, popularly known as KTR, has hinted at the possibility of a ‘third front’, to be led by party chief and former Telangana CM K Chandrashekhar Rao (KCR).

In an exclusive interview, KTR said, “If the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has to be stopped, then the people should support regional leaders like KCR, Mamata, or Kejriwal (Delhi Chief Minister) because Congress cannot stop the BJP. On one side, Rahul Gandhi is doing Bharat Jodo, but on the other side, the INDI alliance is developing differences. Only regional parties and strong regional leaders can stop the BJP. So, we should strengthen the regional forces. Only the Congress and Rahul Gandhi can’t defeat the BJP. KCR knew that Congress would not give any respect to any party. That is why we have been talking about a non-Congress and non-BJP coalition; a third front or federal front should be formed.”

“However, we hope that discussions take place on this. We made efforts towards it around two years ago. Unfortunately, it did not succeed. However, we are focusing on Telangana now. If we get a good number of seats in Telangana in the Lok Sabha polls, maybe we can succeed in the talks with regional forces like Akhilesh (Samajwadi Party Chief Akhilesh Yadav), Mamata, Kejriwal, and others,” he added.

The BRS leader further said that the meeting of the INDIA bloc was merely a ‘Chai-biscuit’ meeting. “No one can form any alliance with the Congress by tolerating their arrogance. We earlier also said that the INDI Alliance meeting is just a chai-biscuit meeting. It has turned out to be true. The TMC and the AAP have proved this. Others will also not be with them (Congress). The party is ‘Ghamandi’ (arrogant), and they don’t believe in taking anyone along,” he said.