Ignored by KCR, CPI hints at poll pact with Congress in Telangana

HYDERABAD: CPI national secretary K. Narayana on Sunday said that they now have a new alliance “option” in Telangana state after the resounding victory of the Congress in Karnataka Assembly polls.

He said that although BRS president and Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao, is silent on working with the CPI, they would wait a few more days for his response before looking for alternatives.

It may be recalled that the CPI and the CPM extended support to the BRS in the Munugode Assembly by-poll last November. The BRS had approached Left parties seeking their support in order to defeat BJP candidate Komatireddy Rajgopal Reddy. The BRS won the by-poll and it is widely believed that the support of Left parties, which have a considerable cadre base in the Munugode constituency, played a key role in clinching the verdict.

Rao had addressed two public meetings in Munugode accompanied by leaders of Left parties and had announced that they would continue to work with Left parties to defeat the BJP.

However, after the Munugode bypoll, there has been no initiative from the BRS leadership to work with Left parties, whose leaders are visibly upset at being ignored.

Given this backdrop, Narayana’s comments that they have new options to choose alliance partners in Telangana state for the upcoming Assembly polls has given rise to speculations that the Left parties may join hands with the Congress if there is no response from the BRS on working together against the BJP.