Patna: Telangana chief minister K Chandrashekar Rao Wednesday announced to make all possible efforts to unite the opposition during his one-day visit to Patna. KCR met chief minister Nitish Kumar and deputy chief minister Tejahwi Prasad Yadav and gave the slogan of 'BJP Mukt Bharat'.
Calling Nitish his 'big brother' KCR said, “Lot of discussions have taken place today and we have made consensus on several issues. We have decided to throw BJP out of power as no work has been done in the past eight years. We will make all possible attempts to unite the opposition in the country with the slogan of BJP Mukt Bharat.”
During the presser when asked about Nitish being the Prime Ministerial candidate to take on PM Narendra Modi in the next Lok Sabha election, KCR refused to make any statement and said, “As I have said that we will sit together and work on it to unite the opposition. It is too early to comment on such a question. Why is there a hurry? Why should I name anyone, there are chances of people getting upset if I name any particular person.”
KCR also refused to make any statement when asked about taking the Congress party on board in the unity of opposition. “Let us first sit together. Why do you people (read media) create confrontations among the opposition parties," KCR asserted.
He also refused to give any name to this effort, “We are not talking about any third front, one must be clear. We are just making an effort to unite the opposition parties so that BJP can be thrown out of power.”
Nitish added to his statement calling the effort the 'main front'. During the presser, there was a situation when Nitish stood up and asked KCR to finish the press conference. Nitish made the request to stop the presser several times when questions were being asked about the Prime Ministerial candidate of the opposition. However, KCR did not get up and held Nitish's hand asking him to sit down and take the questions.
KCR slammed Prime Minister Narendra Modi and alleged that the present government at the centre "wants to sell everything and the only slogan left now is Becho India".
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“Railway has been given to corporate, airport has been given to corporate, even LIC is going into private hands. The BJP government also wants to sell the land of the farmers and the only slogan left for the BJP is Becho India. BJP is a danger to the country. The bad policies adopted by the government of India have created a lot of problems for the nation,” KCR stressed.
He further said, "Rupee has gone all-time low against the dollar and debt is continuously increasing in the country. People are fed up with inflation as the centre has no work except big slogans. Due to policies of the central government, our country has seen losses in all sectors. Modi Ji has promised to provide a house to everyone by 2020, has everyone got it? Gujarat Model is a complete failed model.”
The meeting of two chief ministers is seen as an attempt to consolidate the opposition to take on PM Narendra Modi in the upcoming Lok Sabha. Nitish who recently snapped ties with BJP and formed the government with RJD and six other constituents is seen as the potential Prime Ministerial candidate to challenge incumbent Narendra Modi in 2024.
Earlier, KCR handed over the Cheque of Rs 10 lakh each to the five family members who died in Galwan valley and Rs 10 lakh each to the families who died in a fire accident in Bhoiguda in March this year.
Nitish also talked about special category status to Bihar and alleged that the centre did not provide them despite repeated demands. “We have been demanding special category status to Bihar for a long time and if Bihar would have got it, we too would have become a developed state,” Nitish said.
Nitish, with folded hands, urged the media to show both sides claiming that the media was lop-sided. Deputy CM Tejashwi Yadav too welcomed KCR and thanked him for visiting Bihar. Tejashwi said that it was the duty of everyone to make the federal structure of the country stronger and support the poor state like Bihar.
Former deputy chief minister and BJP Rajya Sabha member Sushil Kumar Modi on the other hand termed the meeting of KCR and Nitish as a "new comedy show".
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“Like Lalu Prasad, even KCR is deeply rooted in corruption and dynasty politics. He is losing his vote bank and meeting with Nitish is the new comedy show of opposition. In a recent by-poll in Telangana, TRS faced defeat at Dubbak and Huzurabad assembly seats. Similarly, in the municipal election BJP touched the figure of 48 from 4 whereas TRS came down to 56 from 99,” Modi said in his statement.
He further said, “In 2019 Lok Sabha poll BJP won 4 seats whereas CM KCR could not even manage to get the victory for his daughter Kavitha. Five family members of KCR are ministers and MLA. He is superstitious and that's the reason he has never visited the CM secretariat.”
“These people who are deep-rooted in dynasty politics and corruption are dreaming to challenge PM Narendra Modi. Unity of opposition is like measuring the weight of frogs. Every opposition leader is considering themselves as PM material whereas Congress is not ready to compromise on the name of Rahul Gandhi,” Sushil Modi said.
Before leaving for Hyderabad, KCR also met RJD supremo Lalu Prasad, his wife and former CM Rabri Devi and Rajshri Yadav, wife of Tejashwi Yadav at 10, Circular Road residence. When asked about frequent raids of CBI, ED and IT in Bihar, KCR claimed that the constitutional bodies are being used for political purposes. “Only false raids are being conducted to torture opposition,” KCR said.
