Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy on Friday met Andhra Pradesh CM Chandrababu Naidu, while the former was on a trip to Vijayawada. While it was more a personal trip, many believe that the interaction between the two leaders might have some key political discussion ahead of the general elections.

Sections of media, however, suggests that Kumaraswamy only went to Vijayawada for his son’s marriage alliance proposal. As per reports, he met businessman Bodapudi Siva Kotesswara Rao. Kumaraswamy and his wife are possibly exploring the possibility of their son Nikhil’s marriage alliance with Rao’s daughter.

Nevertheless, considering Naidu’s present posture in politics, as he had already left the NDA government at the centre, any meeting or discussion with HD Kumaraswamy and like-minded leaders will certainly generate spark for an anti-BJP front.

In their short meeting on Friday, both the chief minsters discussed the need and possibility of the coming together of all the regional parties in South India. They have also expressed their opinion on the need for an alternative force at the centre.

Considering that both the leaders met only for a brief time, it is likely that they would meet in near future for their future strategy. While Kumaraswamy’s JDS is in an alliance with Congress in Karnataka, N Chandrababu Naidu's Telugu Desam Party (TDP) has already walked out of NDA, blaming Prime Minister Modi for 'injustice to Andhra Pradesh'.

TDP has called back its two ministers from the Modi government soon after the Central government made it clear on its position on the special category status and the financial support for Andhra Pradesh, as promised after Telangana was carved out of it in 2014. BJP, on the other hand, see this as an opportunity to grow in Andhra Pradesh.

With more challenges from parties like YSR Congress Party led by Y. S. Jaganmohan Reddy, Naidu would certainly try to have some kind of coalition on the regional and national level before the 2019 elections.

In the upcoming Telangana polls also TDP will try to get into a pre-poll alliance with Congress, even though at one time in history they fought elections against each other.

The likelihood of K. Chandrashekar Rao’s Telangana RastraSamithi(TRS) supporting BJP at the national level and have coalition in Telangana state is becoming clearer. This will further push Naidu to search for other options to keep himself afloat in national politics.

Hence, the meeting betweenKarnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy and Andhra Pradesh CM Chandrababu Naidu will certainly be a talking point for now, and the discussion of a third front or any other against the BJP-led NDA might generate some curiosity in national as well as regional politics.

--Deepak Mohanty