Amid the increasing uncertainty over the future of the Grand Alliance of Opposition parties in Telangana over thorny issue of seat sharing, Telugu Desam president and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu held a crucial meeting with the Telangana unit leaders of his party in Hyderabad on Monday.
Addressing the meeting at the party headquarters in Hyderabad, Naidu said the alliance with the Congress was crucial, as it would have a far-reaching impact at the national level.
While the TDP was demanding 30 odd Assembly seats the major partner Congress was willing to give it only 12 seats. According to the sources Naidu said that in the larger interest of alliance the TDP might settle for 18 seats.
Naidu assured the state leaders that it would talk to the top leadership of Congress to sort out the issues. “You focus on working hard to ensure the victory of the Grand Alliance”, Naidu told the party leaders.
“Those not getting the tickets should not be disappointed. Once the alliance comes to power justice would be done to them”.
Telangana TDP leaders requested Naidu to campaign in Telangana and he responded positively, party sources said. They proposed at least four meetings by Naidu in the State. Telangana TDP senior leader R Chandrasekhar Reddy told the media after Naidu’s meeting with the party leaders that the seat sharing issue will not become an obstacle in the way of the alliance. Naidu’s address to the meeting has boosted the morale of the party, he said.
The list of constituencies TDP was keen to get includes six in Hyderabad. Naidu also decided to field a prominent industrialist and Bhavya Cement Company owner Anand Prasad from Serilingampally.
Naidu’s comments on importance of opposition unity came at a time when the Grand Alliance appears to be on the verge of collapse as other partners- Communist Party of India and the Telangana Jana Samiti were all unhappy with the big-brotherly attitude of the Congress.
In fact TJS president Kodnadaram was under tremendous pressure from his own party leaders to quit the alliance and contest the election alone. A similar feeling was prevailing in the Communist Party of India that if Congress does not show it the due respect it would go its own way.
A meeting of CPI leaders chaired by party general secretary S Sudhakar Reddy has warned that if Congress does not allocate at least ten seats to the party it will contest 25 seats on its own.
While TJS was demanding 36 seats Congress was willing to give it only 8 or 9 seats. Similarly CPI was keen to fight on 12 seats and Congress has offered it paltry three seats.
The differences has led to inordinate delay in finalizing the seat sharing agreement even as the Congress was in the final stages of choosing its own candidates.
Congress was keen to contest at least 90 seats to have a fighting chance to secure majority on its own. The party, which has already shortlisted the candidates, was also facing a challenge of giving representations to all the major castes. While a lion’s share was likely to go to the powerful Reddy caste, the central leadership of party was also keen to get adequate share to the weaker sections. According to the formula under consideration of the leaders, backward class candidates will be nominated from at least two assembly segments in each Lok Sabha constituency. Thus 34 tickets will be given to the BCs. Of the 19 tickets for the scheduled castes 12 will be given to Mala and seven to Madigas. Similarly a total of 12 tickets will be given to the scheduled tribes and they will be divided equally among the Lambadas and Adivasis..