Municipal elections: CPI parts ways with Congress, ties up with TDP in Kothagudem

The Congress and CPI have decided to contest the Kothagudem municipal elections separately after failing to reach a seat-sharing agreement. The CPI has tied up with the TDP, while the Congress faces internal dissent and the threat of rebel candidates.

Kothagudem: After days of confusion and ambiguity, the CPI and Congress have decided to contest the municipal elections independently, ending their alliance in Kothagudem.

The CPI, which had supported the Congress in the previous Assembly elections for the Kothagudem seat as part of a pre-poll alliance, wanted to continue the arrangement in the municipal polls. However, the two parties failed to reach a consensus on seat sharing.

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According to sources, the CPI sought 30 seats but was offered 20 by the Congress. Of these 20 seats, the Congress reportedly wanted five divisions that were held by the CPI in the previous municipal council.

Several rounds of talks held by Khammam MP R Raghuram Reddy and Congress leader Tulluri Brahmaiah with CPI district secretary Shaik Sabeer Pasha failed to yield any result. Differences over seat allocation eventually led to the parties parting ways.

It was stated that Revenue Minister Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy was not keen on an alliance with the CPI in the municipal elections. He reportedly said that winning the Kothagudem Municipal Corporation and Edulapuram Municipality in Khammam district was his responsibility and would be a referendum on him.

He also reportedly termed the CPI’s demand for more seats in Edulapuram as “greed”. CPI leaders, however, felt that they would have an edge in Kothagudem, as the Assembly constituency is represented by CPI State Secretary Kunamneni Sambasiva Rao.

CPI district secretary Pasha announced party candidates for 56 municipal divisions and stated that the TDP would support the CPI by contesting four seats. Meanwhile, the Congress announced its candidates for 58 divisions and allotted two seats to the CPI(M).

Meanwhile, Congress leaders who were denied tickets alleged that the party leadership had neglected old-timers while promoting those who had recently joined the party.

A Congress leader from the 53rd division and Vaddera Sangham district president Pallapu Venkateshwarlu complained that he had been subjected to grave injustice despite working faithfully for the party.

Similarly, Congress worker Beera Ravi, who was reportedly assured a party ticket for the 24th division, was denied the ticket at the last minute and is now planning to contest as an independent. The Congress is likely to face the threat of rebel candidates in several divisions.