The CPI(M), which is wooing AIADMK chief J Jayalalithaa and is set to divorce Karunanidhi in Tamil Nadu, is planning to change partner in Andhra Pradesh as well.
NEW DELHI: The CPI(M), which is wooing AIADMK chief J Jayalalithaa and is set to divorce Karunanidhi in Tamil Nadu, is planning to change partner in Andhra Pradesh as well.
The party is working out a plan to quietly dump Chandrababu Naidu of the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and have an electoral tie-up with mega star Chiranjeevi, who launched a new political party, Praja Rajyam, last week.
The CPI(M)’s assessment is the AIADMK and Praja Rajyam would sweep the upcoming Lok Sabha polls and as such are the best bet to bolster the nascent third front to provide an alternative to the Congress and the BJP.
In Tamil Nadu, where the Democratic People’s Alliance (DPA) led by the DMK and comprising the PMK, Left and the Congress won all the 39 seats in 2004, CPI(M) sources said the party expects that 2009 will see a reverse.
There were reports that CPI(M) politburo member Brinda Karat flew to Chennai last week and had talks with Jayalalithaa, but the party has denied any such meeting. Sources said though the AIADMK chief is open to an alliance with the Left, she is also waiting for feelers from the Congress.
In Andhra Pradesh, the CPI(M) wanted to take both the TDP and Chiranjeevi on board, but the Congress and the TDP are the main rivals of Praja Rajyam and the superstar does not want to take any step that might help Naidu. The comrades appear to have opted for the “winner”.
Asked about the party’s impending alliance with Chiranjeevi, a PB member said: “We have left it to the state unit. We will take a call as and when we get a report from it.”
CPI(M) sources said the Andhra Pradesh state secretariat meeting on Wednesday will discuss the political situation in the state and endorse the plan to have an electoral alliance with Praja Rajyam. But the party will not make any announcement about its plan to dump the TDP and will continue to have “relations” with it.
“We will need the support of all anti-Congress, anti-BJP parties at the Centre to install a third front government next year. We need the support of TDP as well,” a CPI(M) leader said.
Chiranjeevi has also been keen to court the Left. Referring to his recent telephonic talks with senior BJP leader LK Advani, a source close to the mega star said it was Advani who called up and a “courteous” Chiranjeevi thanked him.
Since April last, Chiranjeevi has been in touch with the CPI(M) leaders. His close confidant P Mitra, who has since become the spokesperson of Praja Rajyam, has been in regular touch with CPI(M) politburo member B Raghavulu and Sudhakar Reddy, deputy general secretary of the CPI.
Meanwhile, former PM and JDS chief HD Deve Gowda denied any differences among third front leaders.
“A force will definitely emerge against the Congress and the BJP,” he said.
k_benedict@dnaindia.net
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