Congress, CPI to form poll alliance in Andhra Pradesh

Hyderabad: While a Congress-CPI alliance for the coming polls is almost confirmed, TRS chief Mr K. Chandrasekhar Rao is playing a game of hide and seek with the CPI. CPI leader Dr K. Narayana had hoped for a CPI-Congress-TRS alliance but there has been no response from the TRS till date. “I am still waiting for a reply from the TRS. They have neither said yes or no to our proposal. They should come out. Talks with Congress are on,” Dr Narayana told Deccan Chronicle.

In another development, talks of a TRS-Congress alliance resurfaced again on Friday from the Congress camp only to be dismissed immediately by TRS leader Mr T. Harish Rao as a “Congress mind game to create confusion in the TRS camp.”

TRS secretary general, Dr K. Kesava Rao and Mr Harish Rao asserted that the TRS would go it alone in the polls and there was no question of an alliance with the Congress at this juncture.

“It’s a Congress mind game aimed at creating confusion among TRS leaders and cadre. There is no question of an alliance with the Congress. We have made our stand clear and we are going alone,” Mr Harish Rao said.

Interestingly, Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee president Mr Ponnala Laxmaiah, in tune with Congress in-charge for AP, Mr Digvijay Singh, said that the party was open to alliance talks with the TRS if the latter was interested. But another senior party leader, Mr Uttam Kumar Reddy, ruled out an alliance.

Meanwhile, Mr Laxmaiah and his team are holding a third round of alliance talks with CPI leader Dr K. Narayana and other party leaders and a breakthrough is expected in a day or two. “We held two rounds of talks and another round will be completed. We expect a positive outcome,” Mr Laxmaiah said.

Sources said that the CPI wants 22 Assembly and three Lok Sabha seats while the Congress is inclined to give only nine Assembly and one Lok Sabha seat. One or more Assembly seats might be added to firm up the deal, it is learnt.

Dr Narayana meanwhile said there would be a clarity on the alliance with other political parties after the local bodies’ elections. “There will be good results if Congress, TRS and CPI contest together in Telangana,” he remarked.