The Congress, the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and the CPI on Tuesday reached an agreement to form a broad-based alliance to defeat the ruling TRS in the year-end Assembly polls.
The contours of a “Grand Alliance” in Telangana emerged with the top State leaders of the three parties holding a crucial meet in Hyderabad on Tuesday.
The development could find echo in Andhra Pradesh as well, where the three parties could come together to contest the next Lok Sabha polls.
The Tuesday meeting attended by State Congress president N Uttam Kumar Reddy, State TDP chief L Ramanna and CPI State secretary Chada Venkat Reddy took place against the backdrop of efforts to bring all anti-Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) forces together in the forthcoming elections.
Uttam Kumar Reddy said the Congress was ready to work with all the likeminded parties, mass organisations and employees unions and organisations of the unemployed youth. “We have to put an end to this misrule of K Chandrasekhar Rao Government,” he said.
“We are all united in our purpose of putting an end to the dictatorial rule of K Chandrasekhar Rao,” L Ramanna told the media after the meeting.
Chada Venkat Reddy charged KCR with trampling over the democratic rights of the people and misusing power to encourage defections from other parties.
When asked about the formation of the Grand Alliance the leaders said it was only the first meeting and the talks will continue among the parties.
According to sources, the discussions focused on identifying the constituencies where their respective parties had a strong position and points to be included in their manifestos.
The meeting was also attended by the other senior leaders of TDP, including former MP Nama Nageshwara Rao and former Minister E Peddi Reddy and R Prakash Reddy.
The meeting came close on the heel of TDP national President and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu authorising Telangana State leadership to take the process of forming alliance with other parties forward.
Ramanna had already held separate talks with the leaders of CPI and Telangana Jana Samiti of Prof Kodandaram over the last couple of days and all parties agreed upon the need to form a grand alliance.
After the meeting, the delegation of the three parties called on the Governor ESL Narasimhan at Raj Bhavan and demanded removal of acting Chief Minister KCR and ensuring that the democratic process runs smoothly in the State.