TJS district leaders keen on having truck with Congress

Hyderabad: After failing to make an impact in Assembly elections in the State, Telangana Jana Samithi (TJS) is bracing for the ensuing polls for local bodies. The party leadership is likely to make public its plans for ZPTC, MPTC elections in next few days.

Even before the State TJS leadership takes a decision, leaders at district and ground-level have started making their own efforts to strike an alliance with the local Congress leaders and enter the electoral fray

A TJS leader from Vikarabad district, who is also a close relative of Congress MLA from the district, has announced that he would contest for Basheerabad ZPTC, which is part of Tandur Assembly segment, with the support of Congress.

This leader successfully strived for the victory of Congress candidate in Assembly elections, and the latter is understood to have assured the TJS leader of all his help to ensure his victory in ZPTC election.

This sort of understanding is expected in other districts as well as polls near. It may be noted that elections will be held for the posts of 583 ZPTCs and 5,817 MPTCs spread over 33 districts in the State.

Meanwhile, TJS chief Prof Kodandaram said his party would go it alone for ZPTC, MPTC elections. However, the local leadership has been told that they can forge alliances with other parties at their level as part of a winning strategy.

When asked about the party's focus in all or selected districts, Kodandaram said they would take a call in the next few days. As things stand, TJS is considering entering the fray in majority districts, he said.

Although these are called as local body polls, money power is expected to rule the roost like in Assembly and Parliament polls, if not at that level.

Kodandaram said the TJS leaders at local level were worried about the ruling party candidates spending strategies, which they cannot match obviously.

They were told not to worry about money power but focus on reaching out to all voters by touching on their problems and issues and what development ought to be done at the local level, he said.