Amid growing concern over the delay in reaching seat sharing agreement leaders of opposition grand alliance “Praja Kutami” (People’s Alliance) met on Saturday in a hotel in city outskirts to discuss the issue.
According to the sources all the constituent parties — Telugu Desam, Communist Party of India (CPI) and Telangana Jana Samiti handed over the list of the constituencies they want to contest in the coming Assembly elections.
Sources said that the discussions were continuing till late into the evening in a cordial atmosphere and the differences would be sorted out in a couple of days. TDP state president L Ramanna, CPI state secretary Chada Venkat Reddy, Prof Kodandaram of TJS and some senior leaders from Congress were attending the meeting, sources said.
However, there was a big gap between the demands of these parties and what the main Opposition Congress was willing to leave for them.
While TJS of Prof Kodandaram was demanding 16 seats, the Congress was ready to leave only 8 seats.
The TDP was asking for 15 seats and Congress was willing to give 9 seats to the party. In case of CPI, the left party was demanding six and Congress was agreeable for three seats, sources said.
Earlier addressing a press conference Kodandaram expressed confidence that the alliance partners will reach an agreement in a couple of days. “As the largest party it was the responsibility of Congress to complete the seat sharing process at the earliest so the campaigning could start by Dussehra.
“It is responsibility of all of us to protect the alliance”, he added and ruled out his joining hands with the BJP.
If popular folk singer Ghaddar also supports the opposition alliance it will be a big shot in the arm, he added.
Meanwhile Ghaddar met the Congress president Rahul Gandhi and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi in New Delhi and discussed the political situation in the state. However later talking to the media he ruled out the possibility of his joining Congress or any other party. He said he was willing to contest against Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao if the opposition parties want him to do so.