Third front in mind, KCR invites regional party chiefs to Hyderabad on May 10

The leaders have been invited for the launch of the Rythu Bandhu scheme, which involves the distribution of Rs 4,000 per acre of land among 5.8 million farmers during the kharif and rabi seasons. The invitees include DMK working president MK Stalin, Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee, BJD president Naveen Patnaik and Samajwadi Party head Akhilesh Yadav.

Stepping up his efforts to launch a federal front as an alternative to the Congress and BJP at the Centre, Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) president K Chandrasekhar Rao has invited the heads of several regional parties to a much-publicised event at Hyderabad on May 10.

Through these invitations, Telangana chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao not only aims to bring the nation’s attention to his state’s developmental programmes but also his potential to emerge as a national leader in the near future. (HT File)

Among those invited by Rao, also the chief minister of Telangana, are Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam working president MK Stalin, Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee, Biju Janata Dal president Naveen Patnaik, Jharkhand Mukti Morcha leader Hemanth Soren and Samajwadi Party head Akhilesh Yadav.

“These dignitaries will attend the launch of Rythu Bandhu, a prestigious programme of the chief minister that has attracted nationwide attention. Invitations are being extended to other regional party heads too,” a spokesperson in the chief minister’s office said.

Under the Rythu Bandhu scheme, around 5.8 million farmers will get Rs 4,000 per acre of land during the kharif and rabi seasons. The agriculture department has identified nearly 14.21 million acres of cultivable land for the scheme, and the total expenditure in this regard is likely to come up to Rs 5,685 crore per season. The government made a budgetary allocation of Rs 12,000 crore for the scheme this year.

Meanwhile, Akhilesh Yadav will touch down in Hyderabad on Wednesday to work out the modalities of the proposed federal front. The TRS government has planned a grand reception for the Samajwadi Party leader on the occasion.

Besides Rythu Bandhu, Rao is expected to give his invitees the lowdown on several flagship programmes of his government – including the Mission Bhagiratha (which aims to provide drinking water to every household) and the Kaleshwaram scheme (said to be the biggest lift-irrigation project in the country).

“The objective of these invitations is to bring the nation’s attention not only to Telangana’s developmental programmes but also to Rao, who aims to emerge as a national leader in the near future,” a party leader said on the condition of anonymity.