Congress may go solo in civic elections

Hyderabad: Congress may fight alone in the municipal elections as the erstwhile alliance partners of the front led by the party are in a mood to contest wherever they are strong.

Telugu Desam party has already announced that it would fight the municipal elections wherever it is strong. Party national president Chandrababu Naidu has authorised Telangana unit to take decision on the alliances for the municipal polls.

CPI had withdrawn its support to the TRS in the bypoll to the Huzurnagar Assembly constituency following the RTC strike. The party may support the TRS again or it may contest on its own.

The other member of the erstwhile Congress led front, Telangana Jana Samithi(TJS) is the only one party which considers having alliance with the Congress.

The Congress has formed a political front in the general elections to Assembly with TDP, CPI and TJS. However, the front had collapsed in the Parliament elections. They also fought individually in the rural local body elections.

The PCC committee on municipal polls would meet in this week and would take a decision on the alliance with other parties in the municipal polls.

A senior leader of the party said that the decision on the alliance may be left to the local units of the party. The district and town committees of the Congress would be given freedom to the DCC and TCC presidents to decide on the alliances.

However, the leader said that in view of the existing political conditions, the PCC may consider having alliance with the other parties if they come forward on tie-up. Most likely the Congress may have a pact with Jana Samithi.

The committee of the Congress on municipal elections which would meet in this week may discuss the possibilities on the alliances and may make recommendations to the PCC. The PCC president would take the final decision.

According to sources, the government is ready to hold elections which are not in litigation and may announce the schedule at any time in the week.