Naveen Hints At Alternative Front With ‘Like Minded Parties’

Bhubaneswar: Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Sunday hinted at the possibility of an alternative front with “like minded” parties following a meeting with Telengana Chief Minister and TRS President K Chandrasekahar Rao at Naveen Niwas here.

Talking to mediapersons flanked by KCR, Patnaik said they discussed a host of issues at the meeting including matters of national interest.

“We are a regional party, we have discussed several things including a further friendship amongst the like minded parties,” he said.

When asked if the meeting could be seen as both joining hands to contest the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, Patnaik said “we have not though that so far, lets see”.

The meeting assumes significance as KCR is reaching out to regional parties to cobble up a non-Congress, non-BJP alliance ahead of the Parliamentary elections. He is scheduled to meet West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee tomorrow in Kolkata and then head to New Delhi where will call on BSP supremo Mayawati and SP leader Akhilesh Yadav.

At the press interaction today, KCR indicated that he would again meet Patnaik shortly.

“The country needs a change, a qualitative change for which a dialogue has begun. We are doing our efforts, nothing has come out concrete till now. I think shortly something will emerge. We will shortly meet again. There is a dire need for unification of regional parties in the country,” he said.

Opposition Congress saw the meeting as an attempt to weaken efforts of a Congress-led grand alliance. Senior party leader Ramachandra Khuntia who is in-charge of Telangana, alleged that both Patnaik and KCR are working as a b-team of the ruling party at the centre.

“Naveen and KCR are working as b-team of BJP to protect the interest of the BJP government and weaken efforts for creation of a grand alliance,” he said.

The state BJP sounded equally critical about the meeting, with party’s national secretary Suresh Pujari maintaining that attempts of a third alliance will fail and BJP will once again form the government at the Centre.

The meeting between the two leaders lasted for over 40 minutes. Patnaik said they discussed the Polavaram issue and on the issue of women reservation both in Parliament and state assemblies. KCR lauded Patnaik’s chief ministership and described him as a senior and respected politician in the country. He supported 33 per cent reservation for women, an issue which is being piloted by Patnaik.