Congress, CPI Strike Alliance Deal in Telangana

 Hyderabad: The CPI finally arrived at a pre-poll alliance agreement with the Congress in Telangana on Monday after securing an Assembly seat (Kothagudem) and a promise of two MLC seats when the Congress comes to power.

The agreement was reached after TPCC chief A. Revanth Reddy held a meeting with CPI leaders. After filing his nomination papers in Kodangal, Reddy proceeded to Makhdoom Bhavan, the CPI state headquarters, along with senior leaders to discuss seat sharing and the prevailing political situation in the state.

Later, Reddy and CPI national secretary K. Narayana told media persons that their parties had agreed to work together to dethrone the BRS government, which has been adopting undemocratic, corrupt and anti-people’s policies for the last nine years.

The Congress had earlier offered two Assembly seats each to the CPI and the CPM but failed to give a clarity on which seats would be allotted. Vexed at this, the CPM called off the alliance and decided to contest 17 seats on its own.

The CPI, on the other hand, expressed its willingness to have an alliance with Congress. Reddy told CPI leaders that a Congress victory was certain and the new Congress government will give due priority to the CPI by nominating two of its leaders as MLCs. He said that Congress has decided to give representation to CPI in the Legislative Assembly and the Council.

The CPI leaders proposed a 'friendly contest' in Munugode but the Congress cautioned against such a move as it would benefit the BRS.

Meanwhile, Narayana said that the CPI’s goal was to free Telangana people from the “clutches” of Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao and his family. It was for this reason that they have decided to join hands with the Congress, he said.

Narayana alleged that BRS, BJP and AIMIM were one and the same. He said that BRS and BJP share a friendly bond due to which Kalvakuntla Kavitha has not been arrested in the Delhi liquor scam.