'Maha' bickering over Telangana seat sharing

By M H Ahssan



No Consensus Over 10 Seats In Telangana



The Grand Alliance’s seat-sharing talks remained contentious with all the four partners staking claim on at least 10 assembly seats in the Telangana region. As a result, sources indicated that the joint first list that is expected to be announced by the middle of March is likely to be delayed.



Sources point out that all the four parties, the TDP, TRS, CPM and CPI, are quoting statistics and history to back their case. For instance, Station Ghanpur in Warangal district is presently represented by TDP leader Kadiam Srihari who defeated TRS candidate G Vijayrama Rao in the byelections held last year.



The TRS is insisting that it be left to them while the TDP argues that this has always been its bastion except during the 2004 elections and that it was N Chandrababu Naidu’s party that had emerged triumphant in the last byelections.



CPI MP Suravaram Sudhakar Reddy claims that Bhongir and Suryapet assembly seats should be allocated to them. Bhongir is presently represented by Uma Madhav Reddy of the TDP. But the TRS and CPM are also demanding this seat. Again, Alair in Nalgonda, is another bone of contention between the TDP, TRS and Left partners. M Narsimhulu of the TDP had won this seat over four times but lost in 2004. He narrowly lost in the byelections held in May 2008. The TRS, which won the Alair seat, too wants it and so do the Left parties.



According to sources, the TDP is not averse to leaving Suryapet to the CPI. Similarly, all the four parties are claiming for themselves the Medchal and Parigi assembly seats in RR district which are currently held by the TDP.



The TRS is eyeing the Malkajgiri Lok Sabha seat and contemplating to field

party secretary-general Vijayshanti. But the TDP is also claiming the seat on the grounds that it has two MLAs in the v i c i n i t y, namely, T Srinivas Yadav from Secunderabad and G Sayanna from Secunderabad Cantonment.



Since Wednesday, leaders of the four alliance parties have been interacting through tele-conference to find a solution to the issue. The exercise is likely to be completed in the next one week, the sources claim.