HYDERABAD /NALGONDA: Hinting that they could determine as to which party will get the reins of the State after the next Assembly elections, the Left parties — the Communist Party of India (CPI) and the Communist Party of India (Marxist), popularly known as CPM — are keeping their cards close to their chest on striking an alliance with the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS).
Both the parties had supported the BRS during the Munugode byelection as it was limited to only a particular segment. However, the CPI has also indicated that they are open to ‘parting ways with BRS’ if they were not treated respectably.
The deviation in CPI’s stance comes after a BRS MLA said that communist parties will not be given seats in the Assembly elections, but suggested the party’s high command nominate them for Legislative Council or Rajya Sabha seats.
In response, CPI State secretary Kunamneni Sambasiva Rao said, “What is there for them to give us? There is nothing like someone is giving and the other is taking. If they need us, they will come to us.”
His latest remarks come a week after flags of CPI-affiliated AITUC surfaced in TPCC chief A Revanth Reddy’s padayatra in Khammam district. It is unclear whether the CPI is trying to get closer to Congress or using its dissidence to negotiate more seats with the BRS.
Incidentally in two different events held at two different places on Friday, CPM State secretary Tammineni Veerabhadram, and Sambasiva Rao have asserted that they haven’t initiated any dialogue with the BRS yet. “We haven’t deliberated about the elections. We haven’t asked them for any seats as it has been speculated,” Sambasiva Rao said.
Veerabhadram too maintained the same in a separate meeting held at Nalgonda, while condemning the “fake news” of negotiation with BRS on the number of seats to be contested.
“In pursuance of our resolution to unite the anti-BJP forces, the CPM State committee, recently, decided to try to strike an alliance with BRS. However, as far as elections and seats are concerned, the media is bringing forth some speculation based on which BRS’ representatives are making some comments. This is unhealthy. There were no negotiations in the first place,” Veerabadhram said.
“We may enter into an alliance if the terms of reference are respectable. Or else, only the Left parties may go together to the polls,” quipped Rao.