Bhubaneswar: Telangana chief minister and Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) president K. Chandrashekhar Rao is set to visit the state to drum up support for a federal front.

Rao, who has already discussed the idea with Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee and former Prime Minister and Janata Dal (Secular) chief H.D. Deve Gowda, is expected to meet chief minister Naveen Patnaik in the first week of May to enlist his support for the front.

The apparent reason for Rao's visit to the state is to discuss the "national political scenario" with his Odisha counterpart. Sources said the TRS chief, better known in political circles as KCR, had been for past sometime advocating formation of the federal front consisting of the non-BJP and non-Congress parties.

Mamata, too, has been trying to bring together the non-BJP parties, as she is keen to prevent a split of opposition votes in the next general elections by ensuring one-to-one contests across the country.

Though Naveen has been keeping his cards close to his chest, leaders like KCR may find his policy of maintaining equi-distance from the Congress and the BJP encouraging. Besides, Naveen in the past has been amenable to making common cause with regional satraps on crucial issues. During the UPA regime he had joined hands with Mamata Banerjee and the then Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalithaa to oppose the formation of National Counter Terrorism Centre and opening of the retail sector to foreign direct investment.

Significantly enough, KCR's Odisha visit will take place at a time when Naveen has drawn the battle lines with the BJP, which has effectively replaced the Congress as the principal Opposition party in the state.

Sources said with Naveen's Biju Janata Dal engaged in a fierce turf war with the BJP, the chief minister might find the idea of a front appealing.

KCR could also try to strike a sympathetic chord with his Odisha counterpart over the Polavaram project, which both the states have been opposing. The Centre-supported project coming up in Andhra Pradesh is likely to submerge several villages in Odisha's Malkangiri district.

BJP MLA Pradeep Purohit said attempts to form a federal front were symptomatic of the growing fear of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's popularity among the Opposition parties. BJD spokesperson P.K. Deb, however, said: "It's still early days. But, our policy of maintaining equal distance from the Congress and the BJP has worked fine for us."

Naveen, however, sought to scotch speculation about any political discussion between him and KCR during the latter's proposed visit to the state. "As far as I know, the Telangana chief minister is going on a pilgrimage to Puri; on the way he is paying a courtesy call. There will be no discussion about a Federal Front or anything to do with politics," he said.