The former UP CM and Samajwadi Party boss was evasive and non-committal about extending unconditional support to the Telangana CM's efforts to form a third front.
Former UP CM and president of Samajwadi Party Akhilesh Yadav was evasive and non-committal about extending unconditional support to Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao's efforts to form a federal front to take on the Congress with which he has been maintaining friendly relations.
During a press conference after KCR and Akhilesh Yadav had prolonged deliberations in Pragathi Bhavan, the young SP leader was asked whether he would endorse and support the federal front being mooted by KCR as an alternative to the Congress and the BJP. Obviously put in a delicate situation considering his friendly relations with the Congress, Yadav, instead of giving a straight reply, said that both the previous government and the current government at the Centre had failed the people and country on various fronts and issues, and that the people were very disillusioned with both of them.
Continuing on that non-committal track, Yadav asserted that the need of the hour was to bring together all regional parties on one platform, and that that alone would help check the BJP and its "anti-people" policies. He said that the BJP had made several promises to various states including Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Bihar and UP, but that none of them was fulfilled. As pointed out by KCR, the country had rich resources and talent, but they were not being properly exploited for the welfare and progress of the people and advancement of the country, he said.
Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao, in an obvious attempt to wriggle out of the delicate situation, intervened and said that the SP chief had already declared that all the recent governments at the Centre had failed the people and the country. "Why are you (mediapersons) trying to create unwanted issues when right now we are discussing the process of the formation of an alternative?" he asked.
KCR further asserted, "We are very clear in our minds that the recent governments at the Centre all failed the people and the country due to their faulty policies and their lack of will and vision. We have made a beginning. We are discussing, we are trying to prepare a road map. Hence please try not to see too many politics in this regard. It is not a KCR Front, a Third Front or some other front. We are only trying to bring about a qualitative change in national politics for the betterment of the people and the country. It is not being done with an eye on the 2019 elections. There are no boundaries or time limits to our efforts. We are not branding anybody untouchables."
Yadav pointed out that it was very essential to have progressive ideas and vision to win the confidence of the people. "KCR with his able administration of the state over the past four years has won the hearts of the people and gained their trust and confidence. Hence his vision to bring a change at the national level is laudable. Samajwadi Party is in full support of his efforts. We will continue our discussions and deliberations in the coming days with many other like-minded parties," he said.
KCR added, "The deliberations with other like-minded parties and leaders will continue. Once a consensus is reached and an agenda is prepared, we will come forward within two or three months with a plan of action."
Earlier, KCR informed the media that the SP chief and he had discussed at length the need to bring some revolutionary changes at the national level. "Akhilesh Yadav was very understanding and concurred with me about bringing the needed change and assured me of his full support to my efforts," he said.
IT minister K T Rama Rao, MPs K Keshava Rao and Vinod, and others were present at the joint press meet.