The Opposition parties in Telangana have taken their first step towards forming a Maha Gathbandhan or Grand Alliance against the ruling Telangana Rashtra Samiti in the forthcoming Assembly elections. Telugu Desam party and the Communist Party of India have reached a broader understanding to fight the election together. This has come ahead of state TDP President L Ramanna’s proposed meting with the State Congress meeting N Uttam Kumar Reddy to explore the possibility of a tie up. TDP was also in talks with newly launched Telangana Jana Samit (TJS) of Kodandram, the convenor of the erstwhile Telangana Joint Action Committee under the banner of which the movement for separate State was spearheaded.
However despite the moves, the State was likely to witness a multi corner contest as the BJP has said it will field its candiates in all the constituencies. Jana Sena party of film star Pawan Kalyan and the Communist Party of India – Marxist (CPIM) were planning to have their separate tie up. YSR Congress party of Jaganmohan Reddy was also likely to enter the fray.
Congress and CPI reached the understanding at a meeting L Ramanna had with the State CPI Secretary Chada Venkat Reddy. “We have decided to have an understanding to effectively counter the ruling TRS and put an end to its autocratic and anti people rule. The state which was achieved by crores of people is now under a dictatorship”, Venkat Reddy told the media.
TJS leaders were holding discussions within the party on how to avoid split in the anti TRS votes. Though Kodandaram was insisting from time to time that his party will contest the elections on its own, party sources said that in view of the present political situation the party was willing to join hands with other parties. In case of party joining the Grand Alliance it will seek 30 seats.
However these developments can spell trouble for the main opposition Congress party as it was not in a position to leave too many seats for the other parties. Many Congress leaders were worried that if party had to forego too many seats it will harm the long term interest of the party.
Already a senior Congress leader V Hanumantha Rao has come out to insist that the party should not sacrifice its own leaders for the sake of alliance.
Many aspirants of the tickets were also restive that their constituencies may go the other parties. One of them Lakshma Reddy in Uppal constituency was up in arms against the possibility of Congress leaving the seat for the TDP while party leaders from Vyra constituency held a demonstration at Gandhi Bhavan demanding that the party should not leave the seat to the CPI.
BJP mocks the alliance
Meanwhile the state BJP has mocked the attempts of Congress and TDP to enter into an alliance. “Such an opportunist and unholy alliance will cause pain and anguish to the soul of TD founder NT Rama Rao”, said BJP President K Lakshman. Talking to the media in Mehbubnagar he said that BJP will not have any alliance and fight the elections on its own in all the 119 assembly seats. The party will organize 50 election meetings all over the state, he announced.