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TDP, TRS chiefs visit Mumbai

Special Correspondent

Naidu, KCR “meet” Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar

N. Chandrababu Naidu

K. Chandrasekhar Rao

HYDERABAD: Telugu Desam president N. Chandrababu Naidu and his Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) counterpart K. Chandrasekhar Rao were said to have separately visited Mumbai two days ago to consult Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) president Sharad Pawar in efforts to install a non-Congress and non-BJP led government at the Centre.

Their visit to Mumbai, confirmed by senior government officials here on Thursday, assumed significance in the background of emergence of Mr. Pawar as a likely candidate to lead the Fourth Front.

Interestingly, Praja Rajyam president K. Chiranjeevi has openly expressed his party’s desire to support Mr. Pawar for the post of Prime Minister. Meanwhile, a senior TRS leader said the party would chart out its gameplan only after results of elections poured in on May 16.

For the present, he said the TRS was a constituent of the Grand Alliance along with the TDP and the Left. Sources in TRS said it was quite likely that KCR would have undertaken the trip to explore possibility of formation of a government at the Centre which was favourable to separate Telangana. Moreover, Mr. Pawar had more than once conveyed his support to TRS’ cause.

Supporting BJP

At the same time, they did not also rule out the possibility of Mr. Rao deciding to support BJP if it was close to coming to power as the party had promised statehood within 100 days of assuming office.

In effect, it meant parting of ways with the Left as far as national politics was concerned.

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