The Hindu : Congress begins talks with Left parties

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Feb 25, 2004

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Congress begins talks with Left parties

By Our Special Correspondent

HYDERABAD, FEB. 24. The first round of talks between the Congress and the Left parties ended on a positive note here on Tuesday. The AICC deputed former CLP leader, Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy, and the APCC president, D.Srinivas, for the consultations.

The CPI (M) team was led by B.V. Raghavulu, State secretary, and consisted of T.Veerabhadram, M.V.Narasimha Reddy and Koratala Satyanarayana while the CPI was represented by S.Sudhakar Reddy, CPI secretary, K.Narayana and P.Nageswara Rao.

Mr.Ghulam Nabi Azad, AICC in charge of State affairs, who arrived in the morning, was closeted with Dr. Rajasekhara Reddy and Mr.Srinivas for about an hour working out the strategy. He also held consultations separately with leaders of the Telangana Congress Coordination Committee (TRCC) eliciting their opinion.

Dr.Reddy and Mr.Srinivas first met the CPI leaders and then the CPI (M) leaders.

It is learnt that the CPI (M) staked a claim for 18 Assembly seats and two Parliament seats while the CPI sought 22 Assembly plus three LS seats.

However, all the three sides displayed flexibility and accommodation and discussed at length on the strengths and weaknesses of the parties vis-a-vis TDP's position. The discussions centred around the poll prospects and working equations to be evolved to keep the Opposition vote intact. Past performances were taken into account. The Congress displayed no haste in arriving at any understanding with the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS). Mr.Ghulam Nabi Azad reiterated the stated position - offering 40 Assembly and four LS or 38 Assembly and five LS seats - and asked the TRS to take it or leave it.

Mr.Azad continued to analyse the party position in the State, particularly in the Telangana districts. He kept himself occupied eliciting the opinion of senior leaders and party functionaries of Khammam, Warangal, Karimnagar and Nalgonda on the party's prospects.

Also discussed were the arrangements for Sonia Gandhi's proposed visit to the State in the second week of March.

The TRS on the other hand, continued to weigh its options. The party is unsure whether the Congress is ready to give up a few seats it was holding in the dissolved House. It continues to seek AICC commitment on sticking to the first SRC recommendations. The third possible hitch is in the ideological pitch of the CPI (M) in favour of a united Andhra Pradesh.

Gandhi Bhavan witnessed hectic activity with the arrival of Mr.Azad.

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