TRS meet voices against backing BJP candidate

Hyderabad: The emergency meeting with Cabinet ministers, floor leaders and senior party leaders convened by Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao felt that the TRS should not support the BJP candidate in the Presidential elections slated to be held in July.

Interestingly, Assembly Speaker P Srinivas Reddy and Legislative Council Chairman G Sukhendar Reddy also participated in the meeting. Normally, people in those positions keep themselves away from party meetings. Sources said that KCR discussed the political developments taking place in the country and reiterated that the Centre was going against the spirit of federalism.

He also informed them about his proposal to field an independent candidate who can be supported by all the parties opposing the BJP at the Centre.

KCR is understood to have stated that this proposal needs to be discussed with leaders of other non-BJP parties. The BJP, KCR said, has enough majority to see that its candidate wins.

To upset the BJP apple cart, all non-BJP parties should unite, he opined.

The issue of fielding a candidate by the Congress-led UPA and the possibility of TRS supporting it also came up for the discussion. But sources said that the Chief Minister was not in favour of supporting Congress-nominated candidate as it is the main political rival in the state.

"KCR is not keen to join any Congress-led group in the Presidential elections," party leaders said, adding that KCR was ready to support a candidate if all regional parties can arrive at a consensus and field a candidate in the elections.

KCR feels that if all Opposition parties could demonstrate their strength in the Presidential elections, then taking on the BJP in the general election would not be so difficult.