Telangana CPI upset at delay in seat-sharing pact, ready to contest in lesser seats
Telangana CPI upset at delay in seat-sharing pact, ready to contest in lesser seats

Telangana CPI upset at delay in seat-sharing pact, ready to contest in lesser seats

CPI had asked Congress to give them 12 seats to contest in Telangana but are willing to move forward with fewer seats.

The Telangana unit of the Communist Party of India (CPI) has blinked first in the seat-sharing contest among the opposition alliance formed in Telangana to take on the ruling Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS). The party had earlier demanded 12 seats but is now ready to contest with fewer seats if it would mean an election victory for the alliance.

Speaking to TNM Telangana Secretary to CPI, Chanda Venkat Reddy, said, “We had earlier asked for 12 seats but are willing to negotiate. We do not wish to contest in too many seats and spoil our chances, neither do we wish to contest in too few seats and become irrelevant. We need to win in whichever few seats that we contest in.”

The opposition alliance in Telangana named the “Telangana Parirakshana Vedika” or the “Telangana Peoples Collective,” includes the Telangana Congress, TDP, Telangana Jana Samithi and the CPI. The TRS party on September 6 released a list of 105 candidates and have started election campaigns across districts in the state. However, the parties that form the Telangana Parirakshana Vedika have yet to officially begin discussions on seat sharing for 119 assembly seats. Elections in Telangana are scheduled for December 7 and results declared on December 11 this year.

A Congress spokesperson speaking to TNM said, “In our primary proposal to the alliance parties we suggested 15 seats to TDP, six seats to TJS
and remaining four seats for CPI. The Congress intends to contest in 94 seats.”

At a preliminary meeting between the Telangana Parirakshana Vedika members held this week, the Congress had conveyed their request for TDP, TJS and CPI to contests in fewer assembly seats. Congress had reportedly “promised” the allies cabinet positions and Rajya Sabha nominations, according to the Times of India.

But CPI remains concerned that further delays in the seat-sharing decision will affect their ability to campaign effectively. “We have conveyed to the Congress, TDP and TJS that if we delay the decision on seat sharing, campaigning will become difficult. There is a lot of campaigning work to do, we have to meet people, if we delay any longer then there won't be much time left for campaigning. We are of the view that we must hasten the process and finalise the seats,” said Chanda Venkat Reddy, who is expected to contest from Husnabad, Siddipet district, a seat that CPI considers its stronghold where Congress intends to field their candidate.

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