LS polls: AP Parties work hard to forge alliance

Political parties in Andhra Pradesh are still working on various permutations and combinations to firm up alliances ahead of the Lok Sabha and Assembly elections.

Though there is lot of kite-flying over various 'possibilities', nothing concrete has emerged as yet on the prospective poll tie-ups.

The Congress high command may be inclined to forge a tie-up with the Telangana Rashtra Samiti to take political advantage of the situation in Telangana, but the ruling party leaders from the region are firmly against it.

The Telangana Congress leaders, during a meeting with AICC general secretary Digvijay Singh here in the last two days, stressed that the party would do well even without a truck with the TRS.

They cited the findings of a recent survey conducted by a national agency for a Telugu news channel that showed Congress securing 55-60 Assembly seats in Telangana and the TRS 40-45.

"We will emerge as the single largest party and closer to the half-way mark. So there is no need to depend on TRS," Telangana Congress leaders are believed to have told Digvijay.

The TRS, which refused to merge with the Congress and also remained non-committal on an electoral alliance, is keeping its options open of a possible tie-up with the BJP.

If not a pre-poll alliance, the TRS would like to have a post-poll pact with the BJP, hoping that the latter would get to form the next government at the Centre.

Interestingly, the Left parties CPI and CPM are seeking to align with the TRS in the region.

"If the TRS comes out with a concrete plan for development of Telangana, we may have a truck with it," CPM's newly-formed Telangana unit secretary Tammineni Veerabhadram said.