Cong, BJP start stitching Lok Sabha poll alliances

Sources said in Andhra Pradesh, the Congress was hoping to at least net 17 seats in Telangana, with an electoral understanding with the TRS

Many parties were engaged in discussions on alliances a day before the Election Commission was tipped to announce a schedule for the Lok Sabha elections.

The induction of former Uttar Pradesh (UP) Chief Minister Kalyan Singh into the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has created an additional power centre there. Singh dissolved his Jan Kranti party and has become a vice-president in the BJP.

Sources in the party said Singh had the most comprehensive political understanding of UP and the party in the state.

Prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi and his lieutenant in UP Amit Shah are relying on Singh's inputs in candidate selection.

The BJP is also trying to unite the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) and Shiv Sena. Former BJP chief Nitin Gadkari has held some meetings with MNS chief Raj Thackeray in Mumbai.

A day after the Telangana Rashtriya Samiti (TRS) refused to merge with the Congress, efforts are on to cajole them into a seat-adjustment arrangement.

The problem is, the rank and file of the Congress, specially in Telangana, are opposed to the ascendency of K Chandrashekhar Rao, the TRS leader, who will settle for nothing less than the chief minister's role.

For Andhra Pradesh, from where the Congress used to bag the highest number of Lok Sabha seats, party sources said it was hoping to at least net 17 seats in Telangana, with an electoral understanding with the TRS.