HYDERABAD: After hectic consultations with Nalgonda and Khammam leaders, the Pradesh Congress Committee has decided to offer just one of these Zilla Parishad seats to the CPI(M). As far as ZPTCs are concerned, the party is willing to leave 10 seats each in Khammam and Nalgonda districts.

It is awaiting the CPI(M)'s response amid reports of the latter deciding to join hands with the TDP in both districts after being offered the Zilla Parishad posts. Meanwhile, the TDP has gone ahead and asked its leaders to go in for seat adjustments with Left parties "wherever possible."

The ruling party, on the other hand, has succeeded in retaining its alliance with the CPI and the TRS. After Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy and PCC president K. Keshava Rao held talks with the CPI team led by its MP S. Sudhakar Reddy and the TRS team headed by Union Minister A. Narendra at the PCC headquarters on Sunday, the three parties announced: "We will be fine-tuning the arrangement further."

CPI(M) talking tough

The Congress is also not sure whether the CPI(M) is in a mood to join hands with it in any of the districts following its State Secretary B. V. Raghavulu's call to the party to field candidates before talking about adjustments. CPI(M) local leaders too have begun to talk tough by imposing deadlines to the Congress as in Kadapa.

On a day of intense political activity, the TDP tried to wean the Leftists away from the ruling party by asking its local leadership to forge alliances with the CPI(M) "as well as the CPI" which is steadfast in continuing its bond with the ruling party.

An impression being gained in Congress circles in view of this is that the CPI(M) is making a calculated move to distance itself from it keeping its long-term interests in view. "We don't want to distance them. But, their argument lacks pragmatism," Dr. Keshava Rao felt.

The TRS leadership welcomed the decision of the CPI(M) to forge a tie-up with the TDP as "unification of forces inimical to the interests of Telangana and helpful to its cause."

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