Congress counts on Owaisi's party, CPI to form Telangana government

Congress would form the government in the new Telangana state along with Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen and CPI if it it fails to get a majority on its own, Telangana Congress president Ponnala Lakshmaiah said today.

"Congress will form the government. No question and no doubt," Lakshmaiah told PTI here, seeking to dispel projections which suggest a hung Assembly with both Congress and Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS), who are the main contenders, failing to muster the required numbers to form a government on their own.

Replying to a question about what the Congress would do if it fell short of numbers, he said, "We have an understanding with MIM and we have an alliance partner in the CPI. The Congress can form the government on its own. Besides, we always have friendly parties (MIM and CPI) in case we fall short of numbers)".

The TRS fought all 119 assembly constituencies in Telangana on its own in the April 30 polls. The MIM won seven seats in Telangana during the last elections, while the CPI won four seats.

MIM leaders said that while their party would retain those seats, they are confident of bagging three more seats.

Lakshmaiah said that the TDP and the YSR Congress would never support the TRS led by K Chandrasekhar Rao (KCR).

The TDP and YSR Congress, which are the main contenders for power in Seemandhra region due for polls on May 7, are not a big force to reckon with in Telangana, he said.

He expected the BJP, which has an alliance with the TDP, to stay neutral.

"Where is the question of KCR forming the government? Without them (TRS), we can get all the people (MIM and CPI) together," he said.