Opposition parties in Telangana have formed a grand alliance to take on the K Chandrashekar Rao-led Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) in the upcoming state elections this year. The Telangana TDP joined hands with the Telangana Congress and Communist Party on Tuesday and met with Governor ESL Narasimhan demanding President’s rule in the state.
The TDP's Telangana unit president L. Ramna, CPI's state secretary Chada Venkat Reddy and Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee chief Uttam Kumar Reddy announced their alliance after the first round of talks in Hyderabad.
This would be the first time in TDP’s 35-year history that it would be entering into a poll alliance with the Congress.
Uttam Kumar Reddy said the alliance would try to bring together all opposition parties with the aim of defeating the TRS. The alliance will seek the support of all people's organisations, employees, unemployed and women's groups in the run-up to the elections.
On September 6, Chief Minister KCR dissolved the Telangana Assembly paving the way for early elections. The polls are likely to be held in the second week of November, provided the Election Commission gives its nod.
The political parties that are not part of the grand alliance are the BJP and the TRS "friendly" AIMIM.
The opposition parties have termed actions of the TRS caretaker government as undemocratic and jointly approached Governor Narasimhan and submitted a letter demanding President's rule in the state.
They said that free and fair elections were not possible in Telangana with Chandrashekhar Rao as the caretaker Chief Minister.
The state Congress chief later told reporters that the opposition parties have expressed concern over KCR abusing power for the benefit of TRS. They said KCR had openly claimed that he had discussed with Central Election Commission to hold the elections in November.
"This is against the principles of democracy and against the Constitution. The holding of elections and formation of the government is the duty of Election Commission and not the ruling party's," he said.
The political parties alleged that there were 12 government advisors presently working with the caretaker government and that "their existence is not required at the present stage by paying salaries, allowances” The party leaders wrote that the members of states planning board also continue to enjoy the powers of the government.
The parties pointed out that some of the MLAs at present in cabinet ranks are also working as chairmen for different corporations, which is illegal and unconstitutional, as these chairmen are also contesting as MLAs.