The Election Commission on Wednesday issued notification for polling in Telangana region on April 30, even as BJP-TDP and Congress-CPI appear to be inching closer to pre-poll alliances.
Though the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh is only a mere formality now, simultaneous polls will be held for the Legislative Assembly and Lok Sabha seats in undivided state.
Nominations would be accepted from Wednesday for the 17 Lok Sabha and 119 Assembly seats in Telangana and the last date is April 9. The last date for withdrawal is April 12.
According to reports, BJP is likely to get about 45-50 Assembly and eight Lok Sabha seats in Telangana, which would come into existence on June 2, and about five Lok Sabha and 15 Assembly segments in Seemandhra which would go to polls on May 7 for 175 Assembly and 25 Lok Sabha seats.
Lok Satta Party of bureaucrat-turned-politician Jayaprakash Narayan is also likely to join the alliance of TDP and BJP. Mr. Narayan is the sole MLA of his party in outgoing AP Assembly.
Meanwhile, the ruling Congress, having been spurned by TRS for merger or even an electoral alliance, is in talks with CPI for an electoral alliance.
CPI state secretary K. Narayana said in Tirupati on Wednesday that a decision on the issue is likely at the meeting of party’s Telangana committee on Thursday.
TRS has held talks with CPI for alliance, but nothing concrete appeared to have come out of the exercise. As of now, it appears TRS may go alone in Telangana.
Latest pre-poll surveys indicated that Congress and TDP-BJP coalition may not be doing too badly in Telangana, though TRS was initially projected to be holding sway.
YSR Congress, which suffered an erosion of its base in Telangana over its opposition to bifurcation, is reportedly finding the going tough.
CPI (M), a consistent supporter of “united AP”, has already released two lists of candidates for the elections.
BJP hopeful of tie-up with TDP
BJP on Wednesday sounded hopeful of a tie-up with TDP in Andhra Pradesh, saying discussions between the two parties have been “good” but a final outcome is awaited.
While equating alliances with marriages which involve long negotiations, party spokesperson Prakash Javadekar blamed the long delay in taking a final decision on the alliance to the fact that the state will witness both Lok Sabha and Assembly elections
“The talks with TDP are on. We will tell you when anything happens. Discussions have been good,” Javadekar, who is in charge of party affairs in Andhra Pradesh, told reporters.
Sources said the talks between two parties reached a dead end at the state level as TDP did not agree to the numbers of seats local BJP leaders sought and a final decision will now be taken by the national leadership.
“Alliances are like marriages. Marriage is also an alliance. It either happens hundred per cent or does not,” he quipped.
