Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao and his Delhi counterpart paid tributes to the martyrs of the Galwan Valley clash against the Chinese troops and the farmers who died during the anti-farm law stir last year, in Chandigarh on Sunday.
Kejriwal had earlier hosted a lunch for KCR, where the TRS is believed to have discussed his plans to evolve an alternative national agenda with the AAP leader. The two leaders discussed a range of issues, including the current political and federal issues, sources said.
The meeting between Kejriwal and Rao, heading two regional outfits -- Aam Aadmi Party and Telangana Rashtra Samithi -- respectively, assumes significance in the wake of building political equations ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls to challenge the BJP.
What the two leaders said in Chandigarh
"The farmer's agitation was for the entire country not just for the farmers of Punjab or Haryana. The Central government wanted to convert stadiums into jails to arrest them, but I did not give permission for this," Kejriwal said.
While paying tributes to the soldiers killed in the Galwan Valley clash and the farmers who died during the anti-farm law stir last year, the Telangana CM said, "Before Telangana became state, a lot of farmer issues persisted."
"Farmers were dying by suicide. We are improving, giving farmers free electricity. Centre asking us to impose electricity bills, put meters. We would die but not install meters," he said.
"If farmers want, they can change government. It is not a big thing. From where the power comes, it comes from us. The agitation should continue till farmers get the right price and there is a constitutional guarantee for it," he said.
He urged farmers that their next agitation should be throughout the country.
"Farmers from north, south, east and west should fight together," said the chief minister, who is visiting multiple states apparently eyeing a role in the national politics.
He met Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Saturday and had a lunch with Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday. Rao, also called KCR, is scheduled to visit Bihar and West Bengal in coming days.
In Chandigarh, he was accompanied on the dais by Kejriwal, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and farmer leader Rakesh Tikait.
Lunch at Kejriwal's residence
The two chief ministers had lunch together and discussed various issues, including the current political situation in the country. Later, they left for Chandigarh, officials in the Delhi government said.
The two chief ministers also discussed states' contributions in the country's growth during the hour-long luncheon meeting, sources in Telangana government claimed.
The meeting was also attended by Telangana ministers V Prashant Reddy and MPs - Joginapally Santosh Kumar, Nama Nageshwar Rao, Ranjit Reddy and Venkatesh Netha among others. Sanjay Singh, AAP Rajya Sabha MP, too was present.
Rao is in Delhi as part of his week-long tour to attend national-level political and social programmes.
Earlier on Saturday, The Telangana CM on Saturday met Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav in the national capital and discussed various issues concerning the country. On Saturday, the Telangana chief minister, accompanied by Kejriwal, had visited schools and Mohalla clinics of the Delhi government. He had also met Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav.
KCR's tour
The TRS leader has been at loggerheads with the saffron party on issues of paddy recruitment, and on several occasions, claimed that the BJP is adopting divisive politics to cover up its failures.
In his long visit to various parts of the country where the saffron isn't waving, the CM is in hopes of bringing together opposition CMs together against the BJP. He left Congress behind.
As per the tour schedule, KCR, as Rao is popularly known, will meet different political party leaders in the national capital, besides interacting with noted experts to discuss the country's economic conditions. He will hold meetings with noted national journalists also.
Also, Read | Ahead of next year's assembly polls in T'gana, KCR meets Prashant Kishor; fuels rumors of an alliance
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