Congress makes overtures to TRS

• Sonia’s political secretary Ahmed Patel speaks to TRS leaders
• Party keeps Telangana list announcement in abeyance
• Ponnala also says doors kept open for TRS alliance
• Cong- CPI talks hit road block over places of contest
• TDP and BJP continue to indulge in hide-and-seek
• Naidu holds politburo meeting today; Delhi trip likely

Hyderabad: All major political parties are still locked in prolonged discussions on the issue of seat-sharing. While the BJP and the TDP are still locking horns on the issue of constituencies – both in Seemandhra and Telangana – the Congress party is learnt to have once again started sending overtures to TRS for pre-poll alliance.

According to sources, Sonia Gandhi’s political secretary Ahmed Patel spoke to TRS leaders over phone. Indications of possibility of re-opening talks with TRS are also given by TPCC president Ponnala Lakshmaiah who said on Wednesday that the Congress had kept its doors open for negotiations with TRS. He said that if their efforts fructify, then both parties would come out with a common minimum programme for development of Telangana.

Since both the Congress and the TRS are the two major players in Telangana and with indications of a hung Assembly if they go alone in the polls, Congress feels that it would be advantageous to have a pre-poll tie up with TRS as it would provide a stable government which is essential for the development of the new state. TRS president K Chandrasekhar Rao has also not been criticising AICC president Sonia Gandhi, though a war of words is on between him and the TPCC president. It is being said that though the Congress party has finalised names for 90 constituencies in Telangana, it is withholding the announcement as it wants to make yet another attempt for tie-up with the pink party.

Meanwhile, the exercise of seat sharing with CPI has hit a road block on the issue of constituencies. The Congress is not willing to concede the seats which the CPI has demanded. According to union minister Balram Naik, the party is willing to give seats where Congress has no MLA or MP candidates. CPI State Secretary K Narayana in Tirupati said that while negotiations were still on, the party was also ready to go it alone.

On the other hand, the BJP and the TDP are continuing with their hide and seek game. BJP spokesperson Prakash Javdekar who stated on Wednesday morning that talks were progressing well changed his statement saying that nothing can be said at this stage.

Sources say that both BJP and TDP are stuck on certain Lok Sabha constituencies as none of them is willing to relent. The BJP is insisting that the TDP agree for Narsapuram, Vijayawada, Visakhapatnam, Rajahmundry and Tirupati. The TDP is willing to give Naraspuram, Araku, Ongole and another constituency if need be. The TDP which had originally offered 12 Assembly and 3 Lok Sabha seats to BJP in Seemandhra has now agreed to offer 15 Assembly and 5 Lok Sabha seats. But the BJP wants 18 Assembly seats. In Telangana, TDP has agreed to BJP demand of 45 assembly seats plus seven seats in the old city. However, the BJP is still lobbying for 12 LS seats while TDP is not willing to give more than 9. As regards the constituencies both sides have come to an understanding on 30 seats but are still locking horns on 15 seats.

In view of the logjam, TDP president N Chandrababu Naidu has convened a meeting of the Politburo on Thursday, and if necessary he may even go to New Delhi to talk to the BJP national leaders and clinch the issue.