AICC kutami plan: Open anti-KCR umbrella, but ride winning horses

HYDERABAD: TRS strongman KT Rama Rao may have dismissed it as a ‘mahaghatiyabandhan’ but Congress high command wants the grand alliance to emerge as a mammoth ‘mahagathbandhan’ to decimate TRS in its den. This message was made loud and clear to Telangana Congress leaders led by TPCC chief Uttam Reddy after his talks in Delhi on Wednesday on the future course of mahakutami.

AICC leaders Ghulam Nabi Azad and AK Antony told the state Congress leaders to bring big, medium and small ‘anti-KCR’ forces under the umbrella of the grand alliance, thrash out differences on seat-sharing and march ahead with ‘now-or-never’ goal.



AICC general secretary in charge of Telangana RC Khuntia and Uttam Reddy told TOI that the ongoing dialogue with alliance partners — TDP, CPI and Kodandaram-led Telangana Jana Samithi — on selection of winning horses and poll strategy were discussed with party brass.

The AICC leadership also told state leaders that ‘winning seats’ of Congress are not a giveaway to alliance partners, but at the same time the ideals of cobbling together the alliance to defeat the TRS remains the cornerstone of Congress strategy. Sources said the seat-sharing talks would be finalised only after AICC president Rahul Gandhi’s visit to Telangana on October 20.

Though Kodandaram met CLP leader K Jana Reddy at his residence the other day to discuss seat-sharing, common manifesto among other issues, the deal is yet to be clinched. “Both agreed that the alliance partners should be more than willing to sacrifice some seats since they are approaching the electorate under one umbrella,” sources said.

Kodandaram, who is heading the panle of the grand alliance, has almost completed a draft of common minimum programme (CMP), which was a bone of contention. The partners are expected to meet on October 19 for seat-sharing talks.

Sources said CMP is likely to be placed for ratification on October 19, day before Rahul’s visit.