Opposition parties in Telangana unite to take on TRS

In a major development on Tuesday night, three Opposition parties in Telangana – the Congress, the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and the Communist Party of India (CPI) – joined hands to form a grand alliance to take on the ruling the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) in the upcoming state Assembly elections.  Showing a united front, the parties demanded President`s rule in the state until the Assembly polls.

A group of senior political leaders from four Opposition parties – the Telugu Desam Party (TDP), the Congress, the Telangana Jana Samithi (TJS) and the Communist Party of India (CPI) – met Governor ESL Narasimhan on Tuesday.

According to a senior Congress leader, the alliance will be in line for a United Opposition ahead of 2019 general elections. The front is also reportedly trying to unite with Kodandaram (of TJS) and seek support of all people`s organisations, employees, unemployed and women`s groups. “This is only the preliminary stage. We have not discussed seat sharing. But we are formulating a broad-based alliance, including the TDP also, on the basis of the Common Minimum Programme,” said R C Khuntia, AICC-in-charge of Congress affairs in Telangana.