ELURU: At last, a clear picture on regrouping of political parties fighting the panchayat elections has emerged in West Godavari district following a deal struck between the Communist Party of India (M) and the Telugu Desam Party.

With the process of searching for new allies over, the battle lines are now clear between the ruling Congress and the opposition TDP.

The Left, of course, has become a divided house with the Communist Party of India (CPI) continuing to sail with the Congress while its CPI (M) brethren developing newfound love for the TDP.

The CPI (M) has decided to settle for four Zilla Parishad Territorial Constituencies (ZPTCs) and 100 Mandal Parishad Territorial Constituencies (MPTCs) after a hard bargaining with the TDP that went on for several days.

The meeting of the CPI(M) district secretariat here on Friday made an official statement to this effect.

For the TDP, which has been in the wilderness for quite some since the last municipal elections, the tie-up with the CPI (M) is expected to come handy.

Regardless of its friendly relationship at the State and the national level, the CPI (M) had been treading a militant path on the issues of displacement caused by the Indira Sagar Project and the Operation Kolleru.

To the ruling party's discomfiture, the CPI(M) mobilised fishermen against dismantling of fishponds in Kolleru and tribals against the Indira Sagar Project.

District party secretary M. Sitaram and 50 tribals were jailed in Rajahmundry Central Jail for nearly three months as an offshoot of the anti-Government struggles.

In the erstwhile Zilla Parishad, the TDP had 24 ZPTCs in its kitty and the Congress 20.

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