Communist Party of India lobbies for more

Hyderabad: Is the CPI two-timing the Congress and Telangana Rashtra Samithi in seeking an alliance in Telangana? TRS secretary-general K. Kesava Rao and Politburo member B. Vinod Kumar, met CPI secretary K. Narayana at his office on Monday. The CPI leader had also called on Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee president Ponnala Laxmaiah.

Congress sources said the Congress-CPI alliance was certain after talks were held in both New Delhi and Hyderabad. However, the TRS alliance with the CPI is still to be firmed up.

The CPI has asked the Congress to give it 17 Assembly and two Lok Sabha seats (Khammam and Nalgonda). The Congress has reportedly offered eight to 10 Assembly seats, including four held currently by CPI, and the Khammam Lok Sabha seat.

From the TRS, the CPI has sought 22 Assembly and three Lok Sabha seats, leaving the TRS shell-shocked. The CPI has also ruled out negotiations over its four sitting Assembly seats of Kothagudem, Wyra, Munugode and Bellampalli. Both Congress and TRS seem to be keen to ally with CPI, which has strong roots in Telangana. It has four sitting MLAs.

Dr Kesava Rao said they have promised to get back to CPI by Tuesday.

“The discussions were held in a cordial environment. We promised to get back,” Dr Rao said after the talks on Monday. Though the CPI claimed it had sought 22 Assembly and three Lok Sabha seats, TRS said CPI wanted 12 Assembly seats and one Lok Sabha seat, either Khammam or Bhuvanagiri.

Dr Narayana did not hide his displeasure over the delay in the response of TRS to its offer made during his previous meeting with Mr Kesava Rao and Mr Vinod Kumar a fortnight ago.

“We gave a list of 22 Assembly and three Lok Sabha constituencies 15 days ago but there was no reply from the TRS. They came to meet me today. We made concrete proposals and asked them not to delay it further,” Mr Narayana said.

He added, “KCR tells the media TRS is holding talks with CPI on an alliance, but there is no response from him.”