Cong still hopes of an alliance with with TRS

Hyderabad: Notwithstanding the belligerent posturing on either side, the ruling Congress is still hopeful of firming up an alliance with Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) for the coming simultaneous elections to the Assembly and Lok Sabha.

AICC general secretary in-charge of AP affairs, Digvijay Singh, is arriving here on Thursday to persuade TRS president K Chandrasekhara Rao to agree for a poll tie-up.

After granting the Statehood for Telangana and fulfilling the long-cherished dream of the region, Congress does not want to lose the edge it got in the region.

It wants to garner maximum electoral mileage and shore up the number of Lok Sabha seats from the region. Singh will stay put in the city for three days to hold parleys with the TRS leadership.

The Congress central leadership is hoping to win at least 10 Parliament seats from Telangana. Since it has no hopes of winning any seats in Seemandhra region, the ruling party is looking up to the voters of Telangana to give it the required number of seats.

The original expectation was the TRS will merge with Congress, enhancing the party's prospects in Telangana. However, such a possibility is now ruled out.

The Congress has now decided to settle for an alliance with the TRS which is clearly a dominant political force in the region. The Congress leaders are of the view that a direct fight with the TRS in the region could cause immense damage to the party and in the process the main opposition Telugu Desam Party might benefit electorally. The high command has entrusted the responsibility of forging an alliance with the Pink Party to Digvijay.

However, the Congress' efforts in this direction have not made any headway so far. Through informal channels, the TRS is demanding a lion's share of seats. It is eyeing for 60 Assembly seats and 10 Lok Sabha seats.

KCR has categorically stated that the TRS would transform from a mass movement into a political entity and would take the responsibility of rebuilding the new state of Telangana.

"Give me 15 Parliament seats and I will turn usher in a golden era in Telangana," he had said at a recent meeting of party leaders. If TRS's demand is accepted, it would reduce Congress to a junior partner in the alliance and would prevent it from realizing its objective.

The party high command wants to convince KCR to agree for a reasonable seat-sharing formula. The Congress had reportedly made certain proposals to give more Assembly seats to TRS and claiming a lion's share of LS seats. It is certainly going to be a hard bargain for the party.