The Telugu Desam Party (TDP) president N Chandrababu Naidu on Monday met Trinamool Congress chairperson and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who, like him, is among those opposed to the division of Andhra Pradesh.
Asked by journalists after the meeting about what had transpired regarding the Telangana Bill, he said: “we are opposed to the division of the State”.
The Trinamool Congress leadership has been speaking against the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh and creation of Telangana State and will also be opposing the Bill.
Speaking to The Hindu over telephone from New Delhi, Trinamool Congress MP, Derek O’Brien said: “Trinamool Congress will oppose the (Telangana) Bill. We are for a united India”.
In November last year YSR Congress chief Jaganmohan Reddy had met Mamata Banerjee at the State Secretariat and sought her support for a united Andhra Pradesh.
Mr Naidu also discussed with Ms Banerjee the formation of a ‘Federal Front’ comprising non-Bharatiya Janata Party and non-Congress parties. “It was a positive meeting”, he told journalists later. Asked about the other parties who were willing to be part of the Front, Mr Naidu said, “Discussions are on with different political parties on the formation of the federal front”. Ms. Banerjee had given a call for non- Congress, non-BJP Federal Front a few months ago and reasserted the proposal at a Trinamool Congress rally in the city last week. She had also gone on to say at the rally that the Federal Front will form the government at New Delhi after the Lok Sabha polls. On whether the Front will get the numbers after the Lok Sabha polls, to come to power Mr Naidu replied, “Let’s see…we will”.
The meeting of the two leaders came on a day when those of the Left parties and some other non- Congress, non -BJP parties met in New Delhi to discuss the formation of the third alternative at the Centre.
