Cong urges CPM to join anti- TRS front in Telangana

Talks on with both national, state leaders

New Delhi: As talks began for a TDP- Congress- CPI electoral alliance in Telangana to take on the K. C. Rao- led TRS, Congress leaders led by treasurer Ahmed Patel began consultations with the CPI( M), which has decided to fight the Assembly polls alone, to convince the party to join the united Opposition front. The Congress is already in contact with CPI, Kondaram ( of TJS) and TDP for Telangana Assembly polls.

As talks began for a TDPCongressCPI alliance in Telangana to take on the K. C. Rao- led TRS government, the Congress has opened urgent channels of communication with both the Central and state leadership of the other Left Party CPI( M), which has indicated that it would go alone with its Left Bahujan Front in the Assembly polls.

Top Congress sources told this newspaper that the party leadership, including treasurer Ahmed Patel, were holding consultations with the CPI( M) leadership both at the Centre and the state to try and get the party join the TDP- Congress- CPI alliance ahead of the Assembly polls.

The Telangana stateunit of the CPI ( M), which has formed the Left Bahujan Front this January consisting of 31 social organisations, which includes actor Pawan Kalyan’s Jana Sena Party, is apparently of the opinion that there was no credible evidence to suggest that TRS chief K. Chandrasekhar Rao would go with the BJP post polls and thus no need for an “understanding” with the Congress to keep the BJP out as was decided in the Party Congress held in April.

Though a formal decision would be taken in the state committee meeting on September 15- 16, sources in the party said it has been informally communicated to the state Congress in Telangana that the CPI( M) would not be part of the larger Opposition alliance in the state.

The Congress thinks that forming a larger Opposition alliance in Telangana, which includes CPI( M), would strengthen the chances of defeating the TRS which was likely to align with the BJP post- polls.

The Central leadership of the larger Communist party on the other hand was also trying to salvage the overall Left unity.

“If the CPI fights on the other side in Telangana, it does not augur well for the Left Front,” a senior leader told this newspaper. Sources said the Telangana alliance would be discussed threadbare at the Party’s Politburo meeting on September 26 and the subsequent Central Committee meeting to be held on October 8. The CC meeting is scheduled to discuss the state reports on alliances in all states.

Early elections are being forseen in the state after Mr Rao in a sudden move dissolved the state Assembly last week.