BJP may fight united 3rd front

Vibha Sharma

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, May 22

The basic premise of the “federal/secular front” being built by various regional parties for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections appears to be headed for a major shift — from the proposed “anti-BJP, anti-Congress” to a pure “anti-BJP” grouping. The Telengana Rashtra Samiti (TRS), a key member of the front, on Tuesday said any party could be its part provided it falls in line with the proposed grouping’s core agenda — bringing about “revolutionary change in people’s lives”.

“The federal alliance is still under progress, deliberations are on as we speak. Our focus is core issues related to people’s welfare. Tomorrow, the groupings can change but its core will remain the same. Whoever comes along will have to agree to be part of this agenda,” said K Kavitha, TRS MP from Nizamabad and daughter of Telangana CM K Chandrashekar Rao.

Kavitha was responding to a question on recent observations by former PM and JD(S) supremo HD Deve Gowda that he did not think any anti-BJP alliance was possible without involvement of the Congress. Interacting with the media at the Indian Women’s Press Corps, she, however, also set an equal distance from the two national parties. “The idea is to form an alliance in the country where the two national parties (BJP and Congress) have so far been winning by default. We have set an agenda that will be a true game changer and not just a name changer. The people of the country should truly think about a change now,” she said.

The TRS, Kavitha claimed, was neither close to the Congress nor the BJP but with the BJP-led Centre, it shared a “working relationship”.

While her father appeared inclined towards a collation minus the Congress and the BJP, TRS sources claimed he, like Gowda, also “favoured” the grand old party. The JD(S) and the Congress have invited leaders of all parties “opposed” to the BJP and also those who want to “keep it away from power in 2019” to HD Kumaraswamy swearing-in as the CM on Wednesday.