Amid Maharashtra Turmoil, Akhilesh Yadav's Meet With KCR In Telangana

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav took a special flight to Hyderabad to meet Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao today. On the face of it, it was a lunch meeting. But the timing was crucial - a day after Rahul Gandhi's declaration that the Congress will not ally with any party close to the state's ruling Bharat Rashtra Samithi and the crisis in the Opposition over the events in Maharashtra.

BRS sources insisted that Mr Yadav's visit to Hyderabad shows that the Opposition parties realise the importance of KCR and the BRS in their attempt to take on the BJP.

Interestingly, Mr Yadav said on his way to Pragathi Bhavan that they have to find ways to dislodge the BJP government and this was an effort to work towards it. The BRS working president, KT Rama Rao,  however, recently said their effort cannot be to dislodge any party but should be on issues. He also equated the Congress and the BJP, saying both need to go.

So, on the face of it, the BRS may take a stand different from the rest of the parties coming together on the platform of Opposition Unity. But they still have a lot in common in terms of grievances, like the use of Central agencies against opposition leaders, the Centre's alleged misuse of Constitutional positions like the Governor and a perceived threat to federal structure, undermining the power of the states in important areas like share of revenue.

The BRS has brushed off Mr Gandhi's comments and said there was no question of their being in the same camp as the Congress. Besides, the BRS believes in coming together on issues rather than just for political parties with varying ideologies to come together, senior leader Kavitha told NDTV.

The visit -- ahead of the next opposition unity meet due in Bengaluru on July 17-18 -- suggests even those not formally part of the nascent efforts to bring the opposition under a single umbrella, may extend strategic support to the cause.