New alliance in the making for LS elections in Telangana

Hyderabad: Unlike in last year's Assembly elections in Telangana, the CPI and CPI(M) have decided to forge an alliance for the Lok Sabha polls in the state. Leaders of the two Left parties met here on Saturday and it was agreed to contest the Parliamentary elections unitedly, CPI(M) State secretary Tammineni Veerabhadram told PTI.

In the December 7, 2018 Assembly elections, CPI was part of the Congress-led alliance, "Prajakutami" (People's Front) which also had the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and the Telangana Jana Samiti (TJS) as its partners. The CPI(M) had fought the elections then under the banner "Bahujan Left Front" with several smaller parties. 

Veerabhadram said the CPI has also agreed to include BLF partners in the alliance for the Lok Sabha polls due by May. Sources in the two Left parties said the CPI already had a discussion with TJS on its inclusion in the alliance. Sources claimed Jana Sena led by actor-turned-politician Pawan Kalyan or the TDP led by Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu are likely to join the alliance. 

"CPI is interested to get TDP on board for the Lok Sabha elections, and not Jana Sena. CPI(M)'s view is: better to ally with Pawan Kalyan, and not TDP," they said. CPI and CPI(M) leaders would again meet later this week to discuss issues on alliance, sources said.