The attempts of the opposition parties to form a Maha Kootami or grand alliance in Telangana to pull down the Telangana Rashtra Samithi from power in the coming elections seem to be in doldrums.Apparently, the alliance partners – the TDP, the CPI and Telangana Jana Samithi are upset with the big-brother attitude of the Congress party in seat sharing.

Though they acknowledge the fact that the Congress has to be given a lion’s share in the total number of seats if it has to come to power, the three parties are not willing to surrender before the Congress for seats.“We may not have any stakes in power. But we have our own strength; as such, we cannot compromise on our self-respect by accepting just two or three seats,” CPI leader K Sambasiva Rao said.

Apparently, the alliance partners are peeved with the Congress party which reportedly decided to give 10-15 seats to the TDP and three seats each to the CPI and the TJS.But the TDP wants at least 20 seats, including those which it had won in the last elections, while the CPI and TJS want at least 10 seats each.

But the Congress categorically told them that it would have to contest at least 90-100 seats, if it has come to power by winning absolute majority of 60 seats on its own. It does not want to depend on the allies to form the government.

Even with regard to the selection of seats, the parties are not willing to give up their claims.For example, TDP state president L Ramana wants to contest in Jagitial, which is represented by Congress candidate T Jeevan Reddy. In Wanaparthy, TDP wants to field Ravula Chandrasekhar Reddy, but the Congress wants to retain G Chinna Reddy.

In Husnabad in Siddipet district, CPI leader Chada Venkat Reddy wants to contest the elections, while Congress candidate A Praveen Reddy has already started campaign there.But if the parties come to a compromise with the sole objective of defeating the TRS, seat sharing might not be difficult, say the Congress leaders.

As expected, firebrand ex-MLA from Kodangal and newly-appointed working president of Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) A Revanth Reddy became the subject of Income Tax raids on Thursday, obviously as part of witch-hunting by the ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi in the run-up to the state assembly elections.

Two teams from the Income Tax department arrived from New Delhi early in the morning and began simultaneous raids on Revanth’s house at Jubilee Hills, besides the office of his infrastructure company being operated from his house and also the residences of his relatives. In all, raids are going on at 15 different places, sources said.

There is a talk that the raids were being done at the behest of the TRS bigwigs, as Revanth has become a thorn in their flesh. But since it might lead to criticism if the state government itself reopened the cash-for-vote case at this stage, the TRS bosses allegedly got a complaint lodged by an advocate Immaneni Rama Rao with the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which in turn forwarded the complaint to the Enforcement Directorate and income Tax department authorities.

In his complaint, the advocate alleged that Revanth had resorted to cheating and money laundering along with his brother-in-law Sudini Jayaprakash and sister Sudini Padma.Revanth had allegedly floated a company in the name of Sri Sai Mourya Estates And Projects Pvt Ltd, which had indulged in money laundering of Rs 200 crore to Rs 300 crore by floating 10-15 fictitious companies.

All these companies have a common address for their registered office at # 346 Jubilee Hills Hyderabad which is presently owned by Revanth Reddy. All of them have common directors, most of the being Revanth’s family members.However, the timing of the income tax raids has given rise to the suspicion that it could be part of the TRS witch-hunting.

More recently, the Sangareddy police reopened a 14-year old case against former Congress whip T Jayaprakash Reddy and arrested him in a fake passport case.

Having failed to get entry into any other political party to sustain his career in politics, former minister and senior Telangana politician Mothkupalli Narasimhulu has finally decided to contest the forthcoming assembly elections as an independent.

Narasimhulu kicked up his campaign along with his followers at Alair in Yadadri Bhongir district, stating that he was contesting as an independent.“I have been a six-time MLA from Alair and also served as a minister. This time, I am contesting elections not as a political party leader but a true servant of people,” he said.

The former minister is trying to play the sympathy card in the elections.

“This is my last elections in my life. My followers and people of the constituency want to see me as an MLA for one last time. I appeal to the voters to bless me and give me a chance for the last time in my life to serve them wholeheartedly,” he said.Mothkupalli, who was expelled from the Telugu Desam Party for suggesting that its Telangana unit should be merged with the Telangana Rashtra Samithi, could to find any takers from any other party after that.

Despite his praises for TRS president and Telangana chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, there was no invitation from the TRS.At the same time, he cannot join the Congress party, as he is against the same right from the beginning.He also met YSR Congress party leader V Vijay Sai Reddy to join the party, but YSRC absolutely has no interest in Telangana.

Finally, he made an attempt to Jana Sena Party. He told media off the record that he was going to meet Jana Sena chief and actor Pawan Kalyan to formally join the party and it led to the speculation that he might be made Jana Sena’s Telangana unit president.

But eventually, Mothkupalli could not get an appointment with Pawan Kalyan despite his attempts.A frustrated Mothkupalli said he wanted to meet the Jana Sena Party chief only to build an anti–Chandrababu Naidu platform and defeat him in the elections. He then said he had lost interest in politics.

Now, he decided to test his luck at the hustings for one last time.