Cong holds talks with CPI on possible alliance, Left parties 'betrayed' by BRS likely to seal the deal

Hyderabad: The Left parties which are credited with TRS’s (now BRS) win in Munugode bypoll in 2022 made a turnaround and are close to forging a pre-poll alliance with the Congress party in Telangana.

The CPI’s top leaders held ‘consultations’ with AICC incharge Manikrao Thakre at a hotel in City and will be taking a call in coming days after proper deliberations within and with CPM leadership. The top leaders from CPM are likely to meet Thakre, at whose initiative the consultations were started, even as State leaders including PCC chief A Revanth Reddy remained out of these initial talks.

According to sources, the meeting was attended by the CPI State secretary Kunamneni Sambasiva Rao, Chada Venkat Reddy CPI national secretary, Palla Venkat Reddy and former MP Aziz Pasha at a hotel. The CPI leaders had put forth the proposal for four seats including Munugode, Husnabad, Kothagudem and Bellampalle. The Congress which does not wish to leave Bellampalle and Kothagudem offered other two Assembly seats, besides an MLC seat. However, the meeting could not reach any conclusion as CPI leaders insisted on at least three seats as part of the deal. The State leadership will be formally announcing their decision after holding deliberations within the party and with CPM leadership in coming days.

Sambasiva Rao who spoke to media described these as mere consultations over possible alliance as no top leader of Congress from Telangana was present during the meeting. “As the two parties should come to a consensus over this, there may be another round of talks before any conclusion. We need to undertake deliberations within and with CPM before taking any decision. This is only the initial meeting with an intermediary and consultations will continue,” he said while speaking to the media.

Thakre is also likely to hold a meeting with CPM state leadership on Monday. State secretary Thammineni Veerabhadram remained positive about the alliance. He alleged that the BRS was moving closer to BJP and has failed to fulfil the 'coalition dharma'. “When they come up with a clear proposal, we shall have discussions with them. Any decision will be mutually agreed upon (with CPI),” he maintained.

The Left leadership has remained upset following Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao’s release of a list of party candidates recently. Sambasiva Rao could not mince his words and alleged that KCR had 'betrayed' them in the recently held press conference. He regretted supporting the pink party in the earlier occasion.

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