KCR cuts Left ties, to go solo in polls

Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao has sent a clear message that the BRS will go it alone in the upcoming Assembly polls by declaring candidates for 115 of the 119 seats in one go on Monday. With this, the hopes of Left parties to forge an alliance with BRS for Assembly polls were dashed.

The CPI and the CPM had pinned hopes that they would contest a few seats in upcoming Assembly polls in alliance with the BRS, in the wake of the BRS and Left parties working together for the Munugode bypoll last November. The Chief Minister had personally approached the Left parties to seek their support to defeat BJP candidate Komatireddy Rajagopal Reddy.

The Chief Minister also took part in two election rallies in Munugode, alongside CPI and CPM leaders and even announced that BRS’ friendship with Left parties will not be confined to the Munugode bypoll, but will continue for the Assembly polls.

The Left parties, which enjoy a considerable vote bank in Munugode, played a key role in helping the BRS defeat BJP in the bypoll.

But after the BRS won the Munugode bypoll, Rao has kept his distance from Left parties, with CPI and CPM leaders openly stating on multiple occasions that they tried to meet Rao to discuss a partnership for the Assembly polls, but he refused the



appointment.

Now, with Rao declaring BRS candidates for most of the seats, the Left parties are left with no choice but to explore other options like joining hands with the Congress or contesting on their own, through mutual understanding.

Since the formation of Telangana state, Rao has not been one for forging alliances for the Assembly polls, going it alone in 2014 and 2018. Before 2014, BRS had allied with Congress in 2004 and then the TD and Left in 2009.

When asked about an alliance with Left parties, the Chief Minister said, "The BRS has declared candidates for all the seats. This question and also discussion about this issue is irrelevant now."

The Chief Minister, while commenting on Left parties at Telangana Bhavan on Monday after releasing the list of candidates, however, maintained that the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM ) continues to remain a friendly party of the BRS since 2014 and that they will work together in Telangana state.

Although the BRS has declared candidates for the Assembly constituencies in the Old City, the AIMIM stronghold, it will be a ‘friendly contest’, as was witnessed in the 2014 and 2018 Assembly polls.