In a day of high drama including revolts and protests on Wednesday, the grand alliance (Mahakutami) appeared to all but fall apart what with serious differences between the TDP, TRS and the Left parties on seat sharing arrangements. This led to TDP president N Chandrababu Naidu serving an ultimatum on the TRS to withdraw certain candidates failing which he said the TDP will go its own way.
After announcing a second list of 64 names for constituencies on which there is no dispute late on Wednesday night, Naidu said at a press conference that talks were still on between the alliance partners with regard to Wanaparthi, Achampet, Husnabad, Warangal east and Mahabubnagar but that the TRS went ahead and announced candidates from there.
“The TRS was supposed to resume talks today on these seats but they did not and unilaterally announced the names. If it does not come for talks on Thursday, then the TDP will prepare its own list. And with regard to Hyderabad and the outskirts, the TDP will surely contest at least five Lok Sabha seats,” Naidu said amid indications that the TRS was also eyeing some of these LS seats. Thus till late night, the grand alliance appeared to be tottering with the CPM and CPI too rejecting the offer of 16 seats each by Naidu.
By Wednesday night, the much talked about grand alliance was on the verge of collapsing. “The TRS has gone back on its word by fielding candidates from some constituencies after promising to leave it to TDP,” charged a TDP leader.
The day began with hectic activity at NTR Bhavan and Naidu’s residence for the TDP and Telangana Bhavan for the TRS. At 9.15 am, the TRS released a list of 15 names to which the TDP replied at 3 pm by naming candidates for 27 constituencies of which 14 were from Telangana and the rest from north coastal Andhra. The TRS then responded by naming 11 candidates at 3.30 pm. While there was no clash of constituencies in the lists released by the two parties, the announcement of the names sparked statewide protests for the TDP with its aspirants staging protests against Naidu leaving the seat for the TRS while many disappointed TRS aspirants also flocked to Telangana Bhavan to stage protests.
In Adilabad district, TDP district president and ticket aspirant Gone Hanumantha Rao and his followers ransacked the party office in Mancherial after the seat was allotted to the TRS and said he would contest as a rebel.
DOUBLE TROUBLE
WHAT’S THE ALLIANCE ABOUT: The intention was that TDP and TRS would form an alliance and contest the 119 assembly seats and 17 Lok Sabha seats in Telangana region Similarly, the CPM and CPI to share some seats with the TDP and TRS in the Telangana and with TDP in coastal and Rayalaseema areas.
WHY IT IS COLLAPSING: After insisting on 50 assembly and 10 LS seats, TRS settled for 49 assembly and 9 LS seats.
In the 36 assembly seats announced by TRS so far, many including Maheshwaram, Uppal, Gosha Mahal and Amberpet are being claimed by TDP.
CPM and CPI have rejected Naidu’s offer of 16 seats each and insisting on 20 apiece.
TRS has named candidates to Warangal East seat sought by CPM and Husnabad seat by CPI.
Naidu says TRS has unilaterally announced candidates for five seats which it should cancel and come for talks. No response yet from the TRS.
‘Listless’ leaders jump ship
Telugu Desam Party ticket-seekers former legislator Rajyalakshmi and former minister Boda Janardhan have reportedly decided to quit the party and join the Prajarajyam after their names did not figure in the list announced by Chandrababu Naidu on Wednesday.
In Karimnagar district, six followers of a TDP aspirant attempted suicide after their leader was denied the ticket. In Wanaparthi in Mahbubnagar, angry TDP workers ransacked the party office after the seat was given to the TRS. By the evening, many protesters assembled outside the TDP chief ’s residence at Jubilee Hills to stage protests.
The two Left parties too claimed that their demands are not being met by Naidu. Their leaders claimed that they had demanded 20 seats each but that Naidu was offering them only 16 per party. Matters worsened after the TRS in its second list announced candidates for the Warangal East seat that was claimed by the CPM and the Husnabad seat claimed by the CPI.
Battling the revolt within the party and finalising names for more constituencies, Naidu announced that a second list of TDP names would be made at a press conference at 8 pm which was later postponed to 9.30 pm. In the meantime, just before 8 pm, the TRS announced a third list of 10 names that made the TDP livid. “The TRS announced the names without consulting the TDP because the Maheshwaram, Uppal, Gosha Mahal and Amberpet assembly seats that it announced were to have been left for the TDP.
An angry Naidu then issued the ultimatum to TRS president K Chandrasekhar Rao to cancel the third list and come for talks failing which the TDP threatened to field candidates in all the Telangana seats.
Around 9.30 pm, Naidu announced a second list of 64 names taking the total to 91 nominees. Till late in the night, the crisis between the TDP and TRS on the one hand and between the TRS and the Left parties on the other remained unsolved.
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