Poll truck with Telugu Desam: Congress to tread cautious path

Hyderabad: With Assembly seats where they could win were being requested by the Telugu Desam Party, the Congress senior leaders are opposing the alliance with the yellow party in the next elections. 

The leaders are openly voicing their opposition to the alliance with Telugu Desam and warning the high command about adverse consequences with going ahead with it. As the stage is set for early elections to the Assembly, discussion on possible alliance with Telugu Desam has picked up momentum in the Congress and the leaders are weighing the pros and cons of adjustments. 

A leader from the party said that seniors of Telangana Congress have been raising voice against alliance with Telugu Desam without considering the consequences. However, the high command was inclined to take a decision in favour of alliance with TD, the leader said. 

According to sources during the preliminary discussions on alliance, Telugu Desam has sought about 31 Assembly seats and two parliamentary constituencies. 

The sources said that as the talks progress the TD might come down to one Lok Sabha and 15 Assembly seats. However, a senior leader from the party said that requests of TDP would cause loss to the Congress if accepted. The Telugu Desam has been asking the seats which could be won by the Congress. If these seats are given to TD, they might lose and eventually benefit the TRS. 

Sources in the party said that the Telugu Desam has sought Khammam and Malkajgiri Parliamentary constituencies. It has sought Assembly seats of Sathupalli, Kothagudem, Illendu and Palair of old Khammam district. 

In Hyderabad, they have asked Serilingampalli, Jubilee Hills, LB Nagar, Rajendra Nagar and Sanatnagar. In Warangal, the TDP had asked for Narsampet, Mulugu, and Warangal West. From Karimnagar, it had asked for Jagityal, Huzurabad, from Nalgonda, Miryalaguda, Suryapet, Tungaturthi, from Nizamabad it sought seats of Nizamabad Rural, Bodhan, Armoor, from Adilabad Boath, Mancherial, Bellampalli, from Mahabubnagar the Assembly seats of Deverakadra, Maktal, Jadcherla, Achampet, Kalwakurthi and from Medak district the TD is asking for Dubbaka. 

Party leaders said that in most of these constituencies, the Congress has good chances of win. If they were given to TD, they would go to the TRS as the Telugu Desam is weak in those areas. 

MLA DK Aruna said during a recent interaction with media that the adjustment of seats should be done carefully to see that the Congress gains. She said that the Telugu Desam could be supported where it could win. MLC Ponguleti Sudhakar Reddy said that the arrangement of alliance with TD should be constructive and not disruptive. The leadership should tread cautiously. He expressed confidence that the Congress could win the next elections on its own under the leadership of Rahul Gandhi. 

Several leaders of Congress said that the Telugu Desam is weak in many parts of the State and it should not be given bigger share in alliance. The yellow party could not win more than five seats and allocation of seats to them should be done carefully.