<p>Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao on Sunday had a luncheon meeting with AAP leader and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal with polls and federalism on the menu as the importance of regional parties rises ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.</p>.<p>Sources said the issues during the meeting centred around 'national politics, federal spirit, states' role in India's growth and the central government's policies.</p>.<p>Later in Chandigarh, handing over cheques of Rs 3 lakh for each bereaved family of farmers, who lost their lives during the year-long farmers’ national agitation against alleged "black agricultural laws imposed by the central government", Rao said if farmers want, they can "change the government".</p>.<p><strong>Also Read | <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/national/national-politics/kcr-kejriwal-discuss-national-politics-at-luncheon-meeting-1111482.html">KCR, Kejriwal discuss national politics at luncheon meeting </a></strong></p>.<p>"It is not a big thing. From where the power comes, it comes from us. Agitation should continue till farmers get the right price and there is a constitutional guarantee for it," he said at the event attended also by Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann of AAP. Rao later also handed over a cheque of Rs 10 lakh to each family of all Four army personnel from Punjab who gave supreme sacrifice at Galwan Valley.</p>.<p>The warmth displayed by leaders of the two regional parties was an indication of the understanding, which the regional parties are trying to build ahead of the 2024 general elections while Congress is still to go cracking after having held a brainstorming session in Udaipur.</p>.<p>After the crushing defeat of Congress in the last two Lok Sabha polls in 2014 and 2019, the main Opposition party has scored any big state victory in the eight years barring 2018 when it had won three states Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh in a go. On the contrary, many regional parties have managed to hold the fort.</p>.<p>While Mamata Banerjee won West Bengal Assembly elections for the fourth time in 2021 (twice since BJP came to power at the Centre), Naveen Patnaik's BJD won Odisha for the fifth time in 2019 (two times since BJP was in power at the Centre), DMK won Tamil Nadu in 2021, KCR won Telangana in 2018, Jagan Mohan Reddy led YSR Congress won Andhra Pradesh in 2018, Arvind Kejriwal won Delhi for the fourth time (twice in 2015 and 2020), Hemant Soren led JMM wrested power from BJP in Jharkhand in 2019 and Shiv Sena with the help of NCP and Congress formed government in Maharashtra ousting BJP in 2019.</p>.<p>The Opposition Congress is now only ruling two states on its own Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh. AAP is also in power in two states Delhi and Punjab while Congress is a junior partner to alliance governments led by regional parties in Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Jharkhand. Even in Bihar RJD was the lead partner of the Opposition alliance in the 2020 Assembly polls.</p>.<p>KCR, who had yesterday announced to follow Delhi model of mohalla clinic and school in Telangana in a way gave a thumbs up to Delhi model of governance at a time when regional Opposition parties are rearing to present their alternative model to Gujarat model, which BJP has cited election after election.</p>.<p>KCR has plans to meet leaders from other regional parties in days to come including from RJD and JDS, the offshoots of the erstwhile Janata Parivar in days to come.</p>.<p>In a meeting with Kejriwal, the CMs also discussed states' contributions to the country's growth. The Opposition ruled states have been making common cause on federal independence in decision making for quite some time, an idea that can resonate all the more as the general elections near. A number of states will also go to polls before the Lok Sabha elections where Congress and regional parties will have an important role to play.</p>
<p>Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao on Sunday had a luncheon meeting with AAP leader and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal with polls and federalism on the menu as the importance of regional parties rises ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.</p>.<p>Sources said the issues during the meeting centred around 'national politics, federal spirit, states' role in India's growth and the central government's policies.</p>.<p>Later in Chandigarh, handing over cheques of Rs 3 lakh for each bereaved family of farmers, who lost their lives during the year-long farmers’ national agitation against alleged "black agricultural laws imposed by the central government", Rao said if farmers want, they can "change the government".</p>.<p><strong>Also Read | <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/national/national-politics/kcr-kejriwal-discuss-national-politics-at-luncheon-meeting-1111482.html">KCR, Kejriwal discuss national politics at luncheon meeting </a></strong></p>.<p>"It is not a big thing. From where the power comes, it comes from us. Agitation should continue till farmers get the right price and there is a constitutional guarantee for it," he said at the event attended also by Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann of AAP. Rao later also handed over a cheque of Rs 10 lakh to each family of all Four army personnel from Punjab who gave supreme sacrifice at Galwan Valley.</p>.<p>The warmth displayed by leaders of the two regional parties was an indication of the understanding, which the regional parties are trying to build ahead of the 2024 general elections while Congress is still to go cracking after having held a brainstorming session in Udaipur.</p>.<p>After the crushing defeat of Congress in the last two Lok Sabha polls in 2014 and 2019, the main Opposition party has scored any big state victory in the eight years barring 2018 when it had won three states Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh in a go. On the contrary, many regional parties have managed to hold the fort.</p>.<p>While Mamata Banerjee won West Bengal Assembly elections for the fourth time in 2021 (twice since BJP came to power at the Centre), Naveen Patnaik's BJD won Odisha for the fifth time in 2019 (two times since BJP was in power at the Centre), DMK won Tamil Nadu in 2021, KCR won Telangana in 2018, Jagan Mohan Reddy led YSR Congress won Andhra Pradesh in 2018, Arvind Kejriwal won Delhi for the fourth time (twice in 2015 and 2020), Hemant Soren led JMM wrested power from BJP in Jharkhand in 2019 and Shiv Sena with the help of NCP and Congress formed government in Maharashtra ousting BJP in 2019.</p>.<p>The Opposition Congress is now only ruling two states on its own Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh. AAP is also in power in two states Delhi and Punjab while Congress is a junior partner to alliance governments led by regional parties in Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Jharkhand. Even in Bihar RJD was the lead partner of the Opposition alliance in the 2020 Assembly polls.</p>.<p>KCR, who had yesterday announced to follow Delhi model of mohalla clinic and school in Telangana in a way gave a thumbs up to Delhi model of governance at a time when regional Opposition parties are rearing to present their alternative model to Gujarat model, which BJP has cited election after election.</p>.<p>KCR has plans to meet leaders from other regional parties in days to come including from RJD and JDS, the offshoots of the erstwhile Janata Parivar in days to come.</p>.<p>In a meeting with Kejriwal, the CMs also discussed states' contributions to the country's growth. The Opposition ruled states have been making common cause on federal independence in decision making for quite some time, an idea that can resonate all the more as the general elections near. A number of states will also go to polls before the Lok Sabha elections where Congress and regional parties will have an important role to play.</p>
