Thackeray meets KCR: says "parivartan" is required

Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao met Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar in Mumbai on Sunday as part of his outreach to regional parties in the country to form an anti-BJP alliance, saying that there was a need to preserve democracy while also providing an alternative to the way the country was being run.

After a visit with CM Thackeray at the latter's official residence, Varsha, Rao told reporters. The meeting lasted more than two hours and was prompted by the Maharashtra chief minister's invitation to his Telangana counterpart. “A change in the way the country is being run today is required. We have agreed that a “parivartan” (change) is required. We want all people to coexist in harmony. We will also hold talks with regional and national parties. I believe that the morcha that starts from Maharashtra leads to success. The country got a lot of inspiration from Shivaji Maharaj, Balasaheb Thackeray and Maratha warriors. We want to follow the same inspiration. We want to fight against injustice, immorality and also preserve democracy.” 

“The atmosphere in the country is getting turbulent day by day. Vendetta politics is being played….Vendetta politics is not the tradition of our country and this is not our Hindutva at all. If such things continue, then what is the future of the country? Someone needed to think about it. Hence, we have started thinking about it and a new beginning has started today. But, it will take some time to take shape,” Thackeray says. The current political and social climate in the country, according to Thackeray, is concerning.

While speaking to the Maharashtra CM he further said, “targeting of political opponents” by the Central government. “Instead of addressing the fundamental issues of the country, opponents are being defamed and lies are being spread about them. This should be stopped,” said Thackeray.

Rao said, “We condemn the misuse of central agencies. The Centre should change its policy. Else, they will have to pay price for it in future.”Rao further claimed that the central government was abusing agencies.

The Telangana chief minister said he spoke with Thackeray about numerous topics, including the country's success, speeding up development, and implementing structural and policy reforms. “We have agreed on almost all issues and have decided to work together. Because there are many other like-minded people in the country, we are holding talks with them too,” he further concluded.

Rao drove down to Sharad Pawar's house after his meeting with Thackeray. Following his discussion with the NCP Chief, Rao proposed convening a convention of like-minded parties in Pawar's birthplace of Baramati. “We will start work by bringing together those who want to come with us,” he added.

The NCP, on the other hand, was cautious, with Pawar claiming that the conference had "no political talk" and that only "developmental problems" were discussed. "All we care about is development, development, development." Pawar stated, "We shall meet again."

Pawar added, “Today, the country is facing problems of poverty and unemployment. We discussed what can be done to find a way out of this.”

According to a statement released by the Maharashtra Chief Minister's office, Thackeray and Rao had a lengthy conversation on inter-state collaborative irrigation projects as well as strategies to improve cooperation in diverse domains.

During both sessions, the Telangana Chief Minister was accompanied by top members of his party, the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS), as well as actor Prakash Raj.

During his visit to Mumbai, Rao did not meet with any Maharashtra State Congress leaders. In answer to a question on keeping the Congress out of the non-BJP front, Rao stated that talks with regional and national party leaders will be held shortly, and a decision would be made on the matter.

Patole said,  “He has seen the true face of the BJP and his efforts to unite the regional parties against the BJP’s dictatorship are welcome. But without the Congress party, the opposition front against the BJP will not be complete and successful.” Nana Patole, the head of the State Congress, applauded Rao's efforts.

Rao is the second non-BJP chief minister to visit Maharashtra in recent months and speak about the need for a united front against the ruling party at the center. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee met both Pawar and Thackeray in Mumbai in December 2021 as part of the Trinamool Congress' outreach drive to establish an opposition front ahead of the general elections in 2024.