Date:13/12/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/12/13/stories/2008121353990400.htm

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

‘More to join TDP-Left alliance’

CPI(M) holding talks about ‘poll platform’, says Prakash Karat

Strategy meet: CPI (M) general secretary Prakash Karat, Polit Bureau member Sitaram Yechury at a meeting of the party’s State secretariat in Hyderabad on Friday.

HYDERABAD: The Communist Party of India (Marxist), which announced its decision to enter into a tie-up with the Telugu Desam Party in the State, has said that the present TDP-Left combination was not a final one as more parties were likely to join the alliance.

The announcement assumes significance in the light of reports that the Telangana Rashtra Samiti that held parleys with the Left parties had reportedly decided to sail with Praja Rajyam rather than the TDP-Left combine. “TRS president K. Chandrasekhar Rao met our leaders and expressed willingness to work with the Left. I hope that will come true,” CPI (M) general secretary Prakash Karat said.

Mr. Karat was here on Friday to attend the party’s State secretariat and executive meeting convened to discuss about the poll strategy and select seats it planned to contest.

He told reporters that the party was holding discussions about the ‘poll platform’ and the issues that should be taken up ahead of the next elections so that appropriate strategy could be worked out with other parties.

Replying to queries, he said the party was confident that it was proceeding on right lines in entering into understanding with the AIADMK in Tamil Nadu and Janata Dal (Secular) in Karnataka while discussions on the non-Congress and non-BJP combination in other places was under way. To a query, he said the CPI (M) had already termed the United National Progressive Alliance formed by a combination of parties earlier as “pre-mature” and it has ceased to exist now. “No third alternative is possible without the Left parties,” he asserted.