After Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar refused to even acknowledge the Left parties’ interest for a poll alliance and went ahead with announcing the first list of candidates for the forthcoming Assembly elections (2023), well-wishers of the Congress and Left parties are trying to create space for both the groups to come to an understanding.
Some political activists from both Congress and the Left parties – CPI and CPI (M) discussed the possibilities of an alliance though officially leaders of both these groups have remained silent so far. The initial talks only stressed the need for an alliance to defeat KCR and apparently was taken at the initiative of AICC incharge for Telangana Manikrao Thakare.
The Left parties are seething with anger against Mr. Chandrasekhar Rao for ‘cheating’ and ‘neglecting’ them after using them in the Munugode bypoll to defeat the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). “They believed that KCR would give them respectable seats in the Assembly elections while taking their help in Munugode,” a senior Congress leader in favour of an alliance said.
CPI State secretary Kunamneni Sambasiva Rao confirmed to the media that some back-channel talks were on but there was no discussion officially between the parties so far. He said CPI and CPI (M) have already decided to work together and they will wait for something concrete to emerge from the Congress’ side on seat sharing.
Mr. Manikrao Thakare, when contacted, said Congress and Left parties have an understanding at the national level to defeat the BJP. With BRS and BJP working together in Telangana, it is natural that people expect us to work together. “Whenever there is a message from the Left parties our TPCC president and CLP leader and others will sit and work on it,” he said without revealing about the back-end channels creating the space for it.
The talks would, however, not be a smooth affair as the Left parties would seek at least 10 seats in Khammam and Nalgonda where they have a good presence. But Congress itself is strong in these two districts with top leaders like Bhatti Vikramarka, Uttam Kumar Reddy, Komatireddy Venkata Reddy, and Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy in total control of those two districts. Moreover, the aspirants are many in these districts. Accommodating them would be a tough task.
