Pact against TRS in trouble

ADILABAD: ‘Emergency’ bells are ringing for the need to clear the decks as early as possible for the formation of a ‘Grand Alliance’ as the Telangana Jana Samiti has called for an emergency party meeting on October 24 to discuss about going alone or being part of a Grand Alliance and seat sharing.

The emergency meeting of the TJS will be chaired by party President Prof. M. Kodandaram at the party office in Nampalli in Hyderabad. Generally, emergency meetings are called to take a final decision on important issues.  

TJS is expecting each seat at least from each Parliament constituency in the state. The TJS expects to get Asifabad, Mancherial, Chennur and Khanapur Assembly seats in the old Adilabad district alone because Kodandaram is a native of Adilabad district. The TJS is seeking the Khanapur seat for its Adivasi candidate Bheem Rao, of the Naikpod tribal group, who has already started his election campaign.

The TJS leaders say, “The Congress is not ready to allocate the seats we are asking and is retaining them for candidates who recently joined the party from the TRS.”

Former MP Ramesh Rathod, who joined the Congress from the TRS a few days ago, is aspiring for the ticket from Khanapur as are Thodasam Leena Rao and Kotnak Ramesh .

TJS leaders say second rung party leaders and activists are mounting pressure on the party president to contest alone as the TJS is not being given the seats they wanted. But Prof. Kodandaram is keen on being a part of a Grand Alliance to defeat the ruling TRS and fulfill the aspirations of the people and the Telangana martyrs though a Common Minimum Programme (CMP).