HYDERABAD: Confusion reigned supreme as political parties unleashed their bargaining power to corner as many seats as possible from allies for the panchayat elections.

With each of them filing nominations much more than their actual strength, the task for their leaders became tougher on Sunday.

The talks over seat-sharing between Congress and TRS hit a new roadblock as they were confined to discussing the latter's complaint that the consensus on seats to be allotted to it had eroded on the last day of filing nominations on Saturday.

TRS bitter

The negotiating team, led by Union Minister A. Narendra, took up with the APCC chief K. Keshava Rao primarily revolved around making the Congress candidates withdraw their nominations from constituencies allotted to the TRS.

Sources said that the TRS leaders were bitter that Congress candidates filed nominations in 70 to 80 seats, supposed to have gone to the TRS in seat-sharing.

Mr. Rao is said to have managed to bridge the differences between APSRTC Chairman Gone Prakash Rao and Peddapalli TRS MLA G. Mukunda Reddy. As per the agreement, two ZPTC seats would be given to the nominees of Mr. Prakash Rao and two MPP presidents to those of Mr. Mukunda Reddy.

But problems remain elsewhere. In Nizamabad district, TRS MLA from Dichpalli G. Ganga Reddy is said to have demanded that the party be allotted the Makloor ZPTC seat, hitherto represented by the Congress. In Armoor constituency, Congress leaders differed over allotment of seats in Sirikonda and Velpur ZPTC seats to the TRS. There was confusion in Congress-CPI and TDP-CPI (M) camps too. Against the list of more than 100 ZPTC seats the CPI had forwarded to the Congress, it could reach an agreement in 33 seats and is confident of entering into an understanding in a few more seats.

Similarly, CPI (M) candidates had filed nominations in as many as 206 ZPTCs. Though the party says it would adopt a flexible stand, it was firm on contesting from at least 130 to 140 seats.

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