Kodandaram agrees not to contest Assembly elections

Ponnala gets Jangaon, alliance constituted as People’s Front,

The deadlock over seat sharing between Congress and Telangana Jana Samithi (TJS) was broken at a meeting of the leaders of the two parties held here from Friday midnight till the wee hours of Saturday.

The development paved way for TJS to announce its candidates for four out of eight Assembly seats which the party was allotted as an alliance partner. They included K. Dilip Kumar from Malkajgiri, B. Janardhan Reddy from Medak, Mr. Chindam Raj Kumar from Dubbak and Ms. Bhavan Reddy from Siddipet.

Out of the four seats that the TJS was still to get to fulfil its quota, the Congress indicated that they might concede Wardhannapet (SC) and Amberpet while a decision was yet to be taken on Warangal (East), Mahabubnagar and Miryalguda for the balance two seats. The TJS has preferred Warangal (East) and Miryalguda in this context.

The TJS was, however, sore that it got three seats — Wardhannapet, Amberpet and Siddipet — which it never wanted. They were thrust on the party, a senior leader said.

The stand-off between the Congress and the TJS was resolved on arrival of Congress secretary in-charge of Telangana R.C. Khuntia from New Delhi at midnight to convince Mr. Kodandaram to give up his claim for ticket to contest from Jangaon. Telangana Congress president N. Uttam Kumar Reddy and former president Ponnala Laxmaiah, who also aspired to contest from Jangaon, participated in the talks at the TJS office.

People’s aspirations

The meeting adopted a resolution to constitute the ‘People’s Front’ comprising Congress, Telugu Desam, TJS and Communist Party of India which are in alliance. The front vowed to work for the fulfilment of aspirations of people in separate Telangana movement. This would be the political and ideological base for the front.

By another resolution, the four parties also decided to set up a machinery to implement the common minimum programme by giving a statutory clothing. Mr. Kodandaram will be the chairman of the machinery in Cabinet rank and it will have representatives from other alliance partners. The twin resolutions were also signed by Telangana TDP president L. Ramana and in-charge CPI State secretary Palla Venkat Reddy.

‘No sops offered’

Sources said no such promise as offering Rajya Sabha seat or ticket to contest further elections were made to Mr. Kodandaram for withdrawing from contest.

Mr. Khuntia told mediapersons after the meeting that the TJS leader withdrew benevolently and he will lead the front as its convenor. He appealed to Mr. Kodandaram to take part in election meetings to be addressed by UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi and Congress president Rahul Gandhi.