"Can happen": KCR on possibility of third front after LS polls; says regional parties will play key role

Khammam (Telangana) [India], April 30 : Former Telangana Chief Minister and Bharat Rashtra Samithi chief K Chandrashekhar Rao has predicted that a third front government will be formed at the Centre after the Lok Sabha elections.
He said that the regional parties are growing in stature and will act as deciding factors in the government formation.
"The power of regional parties is increasing. TMC in West Bengal, AAP in Delhi, Punjab. So, these regional parties will play a big role and will be deciding factors...Neither BJP nor Congress (will win)," KCR said in an interview with ANI.
On being asked if there is a chance of a third front coming to power, KCR said, "It can happen But, after the results are declared, I feel that the regional parties will play an important role in forming the government."
KCR served as the Chief Minister of Telangana, since the formation of the state in 2014 till 2023.
Making predictions of how both the BJP-led NDA and the INDIA bloc will fare in the general elections, the BRS chief said NDA will only get around 200 seats.
"INDIA alliance is nothing. Even ND Alliance (NDA), is also not very big, many parties left the coalition...but they can get around 200 seats," he said.
On being asked who could be the PM candidate for the INDIA bloc, he said. "It is too early to say now. Let's wait for the election results...NDA will definitely not get the complete majority and BJP will also not reach 272 (seats)..."
When questioned about his support for BJP or Congress, he said that BRS will be fighting against both of them.
"We have to fight with both (Congress and BJP). Both of them are enemies of Telangana and this has been proved several times. So we need to fight both," he said.
KCR further stated that people will vote against BJP in the elections. Attacking the Congress party, he said the whole country knows about the 'corruption' that happened under Congress.
"The farmers in the country are distressed. Both BJP and Congress have done injustice to them. Especially, people will go against Narendra Modi. I think BJP can't reach a majority on its own," the former CM said.
"The entire country knows about corruption done by Congress...because of this they have been named 'Scamgress'," he added.
Speaking on his political ambition, the BRS chief said that he wanted to expand his party nationally, and every regional party should try to do so if they can.
"I made it BRS because I wanted to expand nationally. I started from Maharashtra, come work also happened in Odisha, Chhattisgarh. Unfortunately, we lost the elections in Telenagana...I think parties should not remain constrained and should try to expand if they can," KCR further said.
In the 2023 Assembly elections, BRS suffered a jolt after it was reduced to only 39 seats in the 119-member assembly. Congress under Revanth Reddy's leadership came out victorious by winning 64 seats.
The seven phase Lok Sabha elections are underway and the counting of votes will be held on June 4.