Congress, CPI inching closer to a seat-sharing pact in Telangana

Congress and CPI are inching closer to an electoral pact in Telangana under with the Left party is likely to contest in 10 assembly segments and one Lok Sabha in the newly-carved out state.

The arrangement in bifurcated Andhra Pradesh comes at a time when TRS has closed its doors for an alliance with Congress.

"We have reached an understanding with CPI over seat- sharing for the upcoming legislative assembly and Lok Sabha elections," C H Umesh Rao, spokesperson of Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee, said here.

According to sources, CPI will contest from 10 assembly of the 119 constituencies and one Lok Sabha constituency in Telangana. Congress would be contesting from remaining 16 parliamentary constituencies.
Rao said an official announcement on the alliance is expected in a week's time.

Asked about the alliance between the two parties which are otherwise in opposite camps, CPI general secretary Sudhakar Reddy claimed the talks on alliance had commenced following a request from the state unit to consider Telangana as a "peculiar" case.

CPI had presented a wish list, consisting of seats identified by it for contesting, to both Congress and TRS.

While talks with TRS did not appear to have made much headway, the Left party began talks with Congress.

"We are still holding talks with Congress," Reddy said replying to a query on whether the seat-sharing talks have concluded.

CPI had supported the creation of a separate Telangana state.