Amid the ongoing efforts for opposition unity and the war of words between Congress and the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS), Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav called on BRS President and Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao here on Monday.
After the luncheon meeting at Pragathi Bhavan, the official residence of the Chief Minister, the former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister returned home.
There was no official word as to what transpired during the meeting. Both the leaders did not speak to the media after the meeting and the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) or the BRS also issued no statement.
It is believed that Akhilesh Yadav invited KCR, as Rao is popularly known, to join the efforts of the opposition parties to cobble together a united front against the BJP for 2024 Lok Sabha polls.
The SP leader, who reached Hyderabad by a special aircraft, had told reporters after his arrival at Begumpet Airport that he would be able to comment only after meeting KCR.
“I will be able to comment after the meeting but all (parties) have one aim and it is to remove the BJP from power. We all together want to remove the BJP,” he said, evading reply to questions.
“I have nothing to say at the moment. When you want to remove the BJP government at the Centre you have to find a way,” he said.
The BRS had skipped the meeting of opposition parties held in Patna on June 23. The party leaders had said that they want people to unite and not parties.
BRS Working President K. T. Rama Rao had said that their party doesn’t subscribe to the view that the Congress or the BJP have to be at the centrestage of any alliance.
The SP leader’s meeting with KCR comes a day after Congress leader Rahul Gandhi stated at a public meeting at Khammam that the Congress had made it clear that it will not attend any meeting where the BRS is invited. He described the BRS as the 'B team' of the BJP.
The BRS leader is understood to have conveyed his objection to the remarks made by Rahul Gandhi.
Meanwhile, BRS parliamentary party leader K. Keshava Rao slammed Rahul Gandhi for his remarks. “Can a leader say like that,” he asked and remarked that he is unfit to lead a front against the BJP.
The MP told reporters that the BRS holds the view that the experiment of parties coming together to contest the election did not yield desired results in the past. Keshava Rao also said that since the regional parties are strong, the leadership of the front should go to them.
“In my personal view, KCR is the best leader to lead the front,” he said.
The BRS MP said the parties have to collectively choose a leader looking at different aspects like language, acceptability, ability to take everybody along and vision.
Keshava Rao also took exception to Rahul Gandhi’s remark that BRS supported controversial agriculture Bills in the Parliament. He clarified that BRS opposed the Bills and because of the opposition from BRS, the Centre withdrew the legislation.
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