"For Telangana, I created awareness among people," K Chandrashekhar Rao said (File)
Telangana Chief Minister and Telangana Rashtra Samithi chief K Chandrashekar Rao has announced his intention to play a "national role". Mr Rao - who tried to form a non-Congress, non-BJP front ahead of the 2019 elections - today said he is "not fighting to be Prime Minister but will fight to bring change".
"A qualitative change is required in the national leadership. Both the so-called national parties have failed. We in fact need a new Constitution. A debate is needed as the Central government has failed to work in the spirit of cooperative federalism,'' KCR said at a press conference, post the Union budget, on Tuesday evening at Pragathi Bhavan, the CM's camp office at Hyderabad.
"In Uttar Pradesh, even if the BJP is re-elected, their influence will definitely reduce substantially. This round of elections is definitely not a semi-final for 2024. If they win, the BJP will get more arrogant and their downfall will come soon,'' he said.
"For Telangana, I created awareness among people... I didn't go after leaders," he said. "So also with change at the national level. I have met many leaders, yes. Even yesterday I spoke to Udhav Thackeray. But it is the youth of this country who need to awaken and fight to bring a qualitative change. I will definitely play a role. Very soon we will announce. We also intended to bring retired IAS, IPS, IFS together for a meeting about the future," he added.
Ahead of the national elections of 2019, Mr Rao had met a battery of national leaders including his Kerala counterpart Pinarayi Vijayan, DMK chief MK Stalin, and Mamata Banerjee, to push for a Third Front to keep the BJP out of power in the country.
This round of elections is being held mainly in the north and the northeastern states and Mr Rao was expected to campaign in Uttar Pradesh for the Samajwadi Party but so far that has not happened.
But his recent battery of meetings with key opposition leaders including Rashtriya Janata Dal leader Tejashwi Yadav, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister, and DMK chief MK Stalin, and Left leaders have set off speculation about the possibility of another Third Front.