CPI to Take Call on Pact, Congress Hopes of Alliance

Hyderabad: A day after the CPM ended its seat-sharing talks, the CPI has decided to wait for two more days to get clarity from the Congress on its proposed alliance for the Assembly polls.

The CPI state committee that met here on the matter on Friday did not take any decision. The CPM has announced that it would contest 15 seats on its own.

The Congress had offered two seats each to the CPI and CPM but did not identify the seats even as the process of filing nominations began on Friday.

The CPI state leadership decided to wait for two more days after it received communication from the party's national leadership that it was holding discussions with Congress high command on seat sharing and it was likely to be finalised either on Saturday or Sunday.

Meanwhile, the Telangana Congress leadership is still hopeful of reviving alliance with Left parties even after the CPM called off the alliance.

TPCC president A. Revanth Reddy told media persons that the party high command as well as state leadership were in touch with the CPM and CPI leaders.

"The Left parties had joined hands with the BRS for Munugode bypoll. They issued statements that they will not join with Congress for Assembly polls. But they changed their mind at the last minute. This has created a problem. We have to convince our party leaders to leave those seats and cooperate with Left Parties. All this will take some time," Revanth said.

CLP leader Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka also told media persons that alliance talks with Left parties were still on and would be finalised in a day or two.