Congress-Left alliance for LS polls hits roadblock

Hyderabad: The pre-poll alliance for the Lok Sabha elections between the Congress and Left Parties in Telangana seems to have hit a roadblock with the CPM declaring its candidate for the Bhongir Lok Sabha seat and announcing to contest all the Lok Sabha seats on its own.

The Congress too seems to be not keen on forging alliance with the Left Parties in Telangana for the Lok Sabha elections. Congress sources too are ruling out the possibility of alliance with the Left Parties for the Lok Sabha elections.

The Congress made attempts to forge an alliance with Left Parties during Assembly polls held in November last year. However, it could strike an alliance only with the CPI as the CPM rejected the alliance after the Congress offered just one Assembly seat each for the CPI and the CPM. While the CPI accepted one seat (Kothagudem), contested the election and won, the CPM contested 14 seats on its own but drew a blank.

The Left Parties, which are part of the Congress-led INDIA bloc for the Lok Sabha polls, have expected and hoped that the Congress would allot at least one Lok Sabha seat each to the CPI and the CPM. But there has been no response from the Congress so far. With this, the CPM announced to contest all the LS seats on its own and even announced a candidate for Bhongir on Wednesday. The CPI too is likely to follow suit.

CPM State Secretariat Committee member and former MLA Julakanti Ranga Reddy on Wednesday announced that Md Jahangir will contest from Bhongir Lok Sabha seat and the party will soon announce candidates for remaining 16 seats. He said CPM leadership was forced to take a decision on contesting all the seats as its own as there has been no response or clarity from the Congress on forging alliance with Left Parties.

Md Jahangir is currently serving as the CPM district secretary of Yadadri-Bhongir district.

The CPI on the other hand reportedly asked the Congress to leave either Nalgonda or Warangal Lok Sabha seat as part of the alliance. But the Congress already announced its candidate for Nalgonda in the first list on March 8. BRS incumbent MLA from Warangal, Pasunuri Dayakar recently joined the Congress and it is speculated he joined the party after he was assured of Warangal ticket.

With no chances of securing Nalgonda or Warangal seats, the CPM leadership wants to go alone in the Lok Sabha elections.