Chandrababu meets Mamata, discusses federal front

Telugu Desam Party president N Chandrababu Naidu met Trinamool Congress supremo and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee here today to discuss the formation of a federal front ahead of the Lok Sabha poll. Discussions are on with different political parties on the formation of the federal front, Naidu told reporters after the meeting.

The TDP chief who met Banerjee at the new state secretariat 'Nabanna', described the meeting as 'positive' and expressed optimism about the federal front securing required number to form the government after the general election. Naidu, however, did not clarify who would be the constituents of the federal front. Asked to comment on Telangana, he said TDP was opposed to it. Banerjee had given a call to all non-Congress and non-BJP regional parties to come together and form a federal front before the Lok Sabha polls.

Naidu's meeting with her took place on a day when Bihar Chief Minister and JD(U) leader Nitish Kumar and the Left leadership had a breakfast meeting with other leaders in Delhi to discuss the formation of a non-Congress, non-BJP formation for the next Lok Sabha polls. The informal meeting took place at the residence of JD(S) chief H D Deve Gowda in which it was decided that leaders of 11 non-Congress and non-BJP parties, who recently came together in Parliament, will hold a formal meeting after the extended winter session was over to give concrete shape to the 'third force'.