Third front will not affect NDA, says Athawale after KCR meets Uddhav, Sharad Pawar

"We are working under the leadership of Narendra Modi and people are happy," Union minister Ramdas Athawale said.

New Delhi: Amid buzz about forging a third front, Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao met his Maharashtra counterpart Uddhav Thackeray and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar on Sunday (February 20, 2022). 

Reacting to the development, Union minister Ramdas Athawale said that even if Uddhav's Shiv Sena, KCR's Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) and other parties come together to form a third front at the national level, there will be no threat to the National Democratic Alliance (NDA).

"We are working under the leadership of Narendra Modi and people are happy. Even if the Shiv Sena and other parties form a third front, it will not affect us. In 2024, BJP will again come to power," he said and added that "we will win" in five states where Assembly polls are currently on. 

The statement came after KCR called on Thackeray and Pawar in Mumbai as part of efforts to bring together like-minded parties against the BJP at the national level.

Chief Minister Sri K. Chandrashekar Rao along with the delegation met Chief Minister of Maharashtra Sri Uddhav Thackeray in Mumbai today at 'Varsha', the official residence of Maharashtra CM.@CMOMaharashtra pic.twitter.com/q1XagTpeeZ

— Telangana CMO (@TelanganaCMO) February 20, 2022

— Telangana CMO (@TelanganaCMO) February 20, 2022

Talking to reporters in Pune about the meeting, Athawale said, "Even if Telangana CM K Chandrasekhar Rao met Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray and NCP chief Sharad Pawar, and held talks about forming a third front, there is no threat to the National Democratic Alliance (NDA)."

Just like the BJP had won 282 seats in 2014 and 303 seats in 2019, the party will bag 404 seats in the 2024 polls, the Republican Party of India leader said.

Earlier on Sunday, while Rao and Thackeray agreed on the need to bring a change, Pawar stressed the need for all like-minded parties to join hands to resolve various issues like unemployment and the agrarian crisis and said they will meet again.

However, neither Rao nor Uddhav or Pawar spoke about a third front in clear terms.

KCR, who travelled to Mumbai on the invitation of Thackeray, said that he and the Maharashtra CM have agreed that change is the need of the hour. The meeting between Rao and Thackeray, held at the latter's official bungalow 'Varsha', lasted for nearly two hours.

Telangana CM Shri K. Chandrashekar Rao, accompanied by his delegation, called on CM Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray. They discussed enhancing cooperation between two states in the areas related to water resources, industry, infrastructure, and inter-state joint irrigation projects. pic.twitter.com/GwoE6Io7gN

— CMO Maharashtra (@CMOMaharashtra) February 20, 2022

Rao then travelled to Pawar's residence in south Mumbai where he held a political discussion with the veteran leader on how to take the country forward after 75 years of independence.

Meanwhile, Congress said that Rao's efforts to forge an anti-BJP front are welcome but cautioned that such an initiative by regional parties cannot be successful without the Grand Old Party which is the "only alternative" to the ruling BJP.

Maharashtra Congress chief Nana Patole claimed that the TRS had earlier taken a stand in Parliament which was "beneficial" to BJP but now its views about BJP have changed. 

"We welcome this change of heart," he told reporters.

(With agency inputs)