‘Poll vault’: Congress ready to ally with TDP in the next Assembly elections

HYDERABAD: For the past few days social media has been abuzz with a possible electoral pact between the Congress and the Telugu Desam, which are poles apart in political ideology,  to take on their common enemies  —  the TRS in Telangana and the BJP at the national level. Lending credence to the speculation, the state Congress has declared that it is ready to join hands with the party floated by NT Rama Rao in 1982 to dethrone the grand old party.

“Is there any hard-and-fast rule that the Congress should not forge an alliance with the TDP? . Therefore, we are not averse to allying with the TDP in the next Assembly elections,” TPCC chief N Uttam Kumar Reddy told reporters here on Wednesday.

According to him, the Congress would adopt a different strategy for Hyderabad, which elects candidates for as many as 24 of the 119 Assembly seats, to win the maximum number of seats. The party would not hesitate to field Seemandhra leaders, who made Hyderabad their home, in order to win over the Andhras living in Hyderabad, he said. “In fact, Andhras are very much angry at prime minister Narendra Modi and the BJP as the central government did not fulfil the promise of according special category Status to AP. We, therefore, think our decision to field Andhra leaders in constituencies where considerable number of Andhra voters live, will pay dividends for the party.” 

The TPCC president disclosed that the party high command had already given its nod for this “novel” strategy. The TPCC leadership has already begun holding talks with leaders of Andhra settlers in Hyderabad in this regard, he added. Interestingly, the state Congress chief’s announcement comes at a time when TDP boss and AP chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu is meeting heads of various political parties opposed to the NDA government. “As TDP has severed its ties with the NDA, we are hopeful that it will join hands with the Congress in the State for the polls. If Congress and TDP enter into electoral alliance, we can win 25 Assembly seats from Hyderabad and nearby places,” said TPCC vice-president Mallu Ravi.

Further, alleging a tacit understanding between AIMIM and BJP in the state, Uttam Kumar Reddy said this time his party would field strong candidates in constituencies where AIMIM would contest. Hinting that strong leaders from other political parties would join the Congress very soon, Reddy exuded confidence that they would storm to power in the state.