Frustration is increasing in the alliance partners of the Maha Kootami in Telangana, with the “big brother” Telangana Congress party continuing to delay the issue of seat sharing for the ensuing assembly elections.

While the Telangana Telugu Desam Party is still waiting patiently for the conclusion of seat-sharing, the other two alliance partners – Telangana Jana Samithi and the Communist Party of India – have been giving vent to their frustration rather openly, expressing their discontent over the delaying tactics of the Congress party.

TJS president Prof M Kodandaram, who set a 48-hour deadline for the announcement of seats last week, extended it up to Dasara.He said his party would take up electioneering after the festival. He reportedly submitted a list of 20 names to the Congress party for contesting the next elections.

On the other hand, the CPI leaders are expressing anger over the unilateral campaigning by the Congress leaders in the Communist strongholds in Nalgonda and Khammam. They threatened to go it alone, if the Congress does not finalise the seats in the next two or three days.But what the TJS and CPI have failed to understand is that the number of seats to be shared with the allies is not in the hands of the Telangana Congress leaders, but in the party high command in Delhi.

Unless the party bosses finalise the Congress list, they cannot disclose how many seats the party can spare for the allies.And it is not going to be easy, as there are more than half a dozen aspirants for each seat in the Congress party.

The screening committee will take its own sweet time to decide the right candidates, depending on their money and muscle power, besides of course the winnability.Going by AICC general secretary in-charge of Telangana R C Khuntia, who had a meeting with the high command on Wednesday, the seat sharing would take at least two more weeks.

He said the talks were still going on with the allies and once the high command gives the nod, the announcement would be made by this month end.So, Kodandaram, the CPI and the TDP have to wait for two more weeks to get clarity. Do they have so much patience?

Strange as it might sound, the Telangana Rashtra Samithi, which has been making a scathing attack on the Congress party for joining hands with an Andhra party like the Telugu Desam Party to contest the ensuing assembly elections in the state, is ready to accept the support from an Andhra leader.

This was evident from the thanksgiving message sent by TRS president K Chandrasekhar Rao’s son and state IT minister K T Rama Rao to Jana Sena Party president and actor Pawan Kalyan.

On Tuesday, KTR called up Pawan Kalyan and congratulated him for successfully conducting Jana Sena Kavaathu on Dowleshwaram bridge across Godavari river on Monday evening.

While this is the official leak from the TRS, sources said KTR had actually thanked Pawan for deciding to extend support to the TRS in the coming assembly elections in Telangana.

Pawan told the party leaders that Jana Sena would support the TRS, as he was impressed with KCR’s welfare and developmental schemes.

Naturally, it has led to the criticism as to why the TRS is accepting the support of Jana Sena.

After all, the Jana Sena, too, like the TDP, has been aiming for power in Andhra. So, whatever allegations the TRS has been hurling at the TDP will also apply to the Jana Sena.

What would the TRS leaders say if Pawan opposes the Telangana projects after it comes to power in Andhra Pradesh on the pretext that they would affect the interest of Andhra farmers?

Will the TRS ask for an undertaking from Pawan Kalyan stating that he would not oppose any Telangana project and remain silent when the Telangana government fights a legal battle to stop Polavaram project?

On many occasions in the past, Pawan Kalyan expressed anguish over the bifurcation of the combined state.

He even went on record saying he had not taken food for 11 days when the state was divided to form Telangana. There were several instances of Pawan Kalyan making a scathing attack on the TRS in the past for raising anti-Andhra slogans.

So, Jana Sena has nothing to lose by supporting the TRS, but it has certainly given a strong weapon to the Maha Kootami to attack the TRS in the upcoming elections!

Hyderabad: Former Maoist ideologue and revolutionary balladeer Gaddar on Wednesday said he was ready to contest the elections against Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao as the joint candidate of opposition parties.

Gaddar, who met Congress president Rahul Gandhi last week, said if all opposition parties make a request to him to contest from Gajwel and ensure that the opposition votes are not divided, he will contest the December 11 election.Rao, who is also President of Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS), is seeking re-election from Gajwel in the coming elections to Telangana assembly. Gaddar described Gajwel as his birthplace.

Gaddar said he did not belong to any party but would support any party to end what he calls ‘neo-feudalism’ in Telangana. Stating that Telangana state was created with the sacrifices of martyrs, he said the change has not come in the state.

Gaddar, whose real name is Gummadi Vittal Rao, told reporters at Kamareddy that after 70 years he has enrolled himself as a voter and had now launched people’s movement to end ‘neo-feudalism’.”My fight is to end autocratic rule and realise the dreams of the martyrs of Telangana,” said Gaddar, who plans to campaign against TRS by singing “people’s songs”.

He appealed to people to make Rahul Gandhi’s public meeting at Kamareddy on October 20 a huge success.
Gaddar’s son G.V. Surya Kiran had joined Congress in April this year. He is said to be keen to contest the Assembly elections.