The luncheon meeting of Left party veterans led by CPM chief minister of Kerala Pinarayi Vijayan with Telangana CM KCR is the talk of the town. While the media is going gaga over the possibility of the formation of a Federal Front for 2024, insiders say there is another pressing and immediate reason why KCR has met the Left leaders like Pinarayi, Sitaram Yechuri, D Raja and others.
Soon after the elections to the five states, there would be Presidential elections between July and August as incumbent Ram Nath Kovind’s term is coming to an end. Unlike in 2017, when the BJP had 70 per cent of votes in its kitty, the party is now on a sticky wicket.
The BJP now has 49.9 per cent votes and needs the support of regional parties to get its nominee elected. The Congress and the opposition put together can actually upset the BJP applecart. A president from the opposition camp can put spokes in the work of Modi in the coming days, which are going to be crucial for the 2024 elections. So, the regional parties and the Left are trying to forge an alliance.
The TRS has supported the BJP candidate in 2017 elections, but it may not do so this time in view of the estranged relationship with the BJP. At the same time, it is planning to talk to the left parties and other regional parties to defeat the BJP’s presidential candidate. The TRS has nearly 100 MLAs, six Rajya Sabha MPs and nine Lok Sabha MPs The Left has five Lok Sabha and seven Rajya Sabha MPs, nearly 115 MLAs across the country. These are the eligible voters for the presidential elections. Insiders say it is this aspect that the Left and TRS leaders had discussed during the Saturday luncheon.
