HYDERABAD: After a gap of seven months, Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday in New Delhi and had a one-on-one interaction on various issues concerning the State. Both are understood to have discussed not only State related issues but also politics and other issues in a meeting that lasted around 50 minutes.
According to an official release from the CMO, Rao submitted memoranda on various issues including seeking Central financial assistance to the tune of Rs 20,000 crore to Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Scheme (KLIS).
Though this was Rao’s first meeting with Modi since the former floated the idea of a Federal Front as an alternative to both the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress. the latter appeared perfectly at place in the company of the former. Rao himself had stated in the past that he, as a chief minister, was maintaining the ‘Constitutional relations’ with the Prime Minister.
Before meeting Modi, Rao held discussions with TRS MPs and officials in Delhi on the issues to be taken up with Prime Minister.
According to sources, Rao discussed several issues with Modi including providing 12 per cent reservations to Muslims.
Ahead of the Niti Aayog governing council meeting on Sunday, Rao might have explained the schemes taken up by the State government including Rythu Bandhu and life insurance coverage to farmers, said sources.
Rao has been pushing his farmer centric agenda and better utilisation of river waters, which would help the country to prosper. These issues might have also figured during their talks, sources said adding that they must have discussed several other issues.
After the meeting, Rao introduced Chief Secretary SK Joshi to the Prime Minister.
In the wake of talks about early polls to Lok Sabha, the meeting of Rao and Modi also assumed
significance.