Telangana Chief Minister and Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) president K Chandrashekhar Rao as part of his efforts to forge a non-BJP, non-Congress federal front at the national level for next year's Lok Sabha election, held a long discussion on the political situation in the country with Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) working president MK Stalin at his residence on Sunday. The leaders also called up Trinamool Congress (TMC) chief Mamata Banerjee over the phone.

Rao first met DMK supremo M Karunanidhi at his Gopalapuram residence and enquired about his health before proceeding to the residence of Stalin who hosted him for lunch.

After the meeting with Stalin ended, Rao denied any attempts at forging a third front. The Telangana CM also parried a question on whether he was projecting West Bengal CM Banerjee as the Prime Ministerial candidate for the ensuing Lok Sabha polls in 2019.

"We have not proposed any third, fourth or fifth front. This so-called front is created by media. We have never announced a third front... It is not a mere alignment of political parties, but an alignment of people of India, the masses and unemployed youth of India," he said while responding to a query on the third front.

When asked whether any front without Congress would help the BJP, he said that they were neither associating with the Congress nor going to desert it. "We are not saying we will associate with Congress, nor we will desert them. We don't propose any such thing now," the leader said. He said that a decision would be taken on what to do next after reaching a consensus with other parties in the next two to three months.

"We decided to continue the talks further. He is also holding talks with chief ministers of many states. I told him that I am going to discuss with the like-minded parties in the state," he said.

Stalin, whose party is aligning with the Congress and is also working closely with Left parties in the state, said that the discussions centred around the prevailing political situation, adding that any announcement on a possible alliance would come only during elections.

The TRS chief has recently met Banerjee and former prime minister HD Deve Gowda as part of his move to form an alternative. A resolution at the TRS Plenary on April 27 had authorised Rao to take appropriate decisions on forming the alternative to the BJP and Congress.

"Across the nation, there is a debate that there is a need for a qualitative change in the governance of India and politics of India. We have been discussing this with leaders across the country," Rao said.

This effort will take about two to three months for a consensus to be achieved, Rao said adding he and Stalin shared the view that India should be a secular country. "The centralisation...Dictatorial trends" of successive governments seen in the last seven decades should go, he said.

When asked if the Centre 'ignored' southern states, Rao shot back saying, "where is the doubt about it" and vowed to ensure justice for people. On whether he would reach out to Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, he said "why not", adding he considered him as "best friend".

Rao was accompanied by his senior party colleagues including K Keshava Rao, MP, while former DMK ministers TR Baalu and A Raja were present during the meeting.