The CPI (M) in Telangana will back the ruling Congress in 16 of the 17 Lok Sabha seats in the state in the parliamentary elections, the party said on Saturday. The party is yet to decide on support in the Bhongir constituency.
A delegation of CPI(M) leaders led by state secretary Tammineni Veerabhadram met Chief Minister and state Congress president A Revanth Reddy on Saturday. Veerabhadram said the CPI(M) is contesting the Bhongir seat, and the chief minister wanted the party to withdraw from the contest there and support the Congress.
Veerabhadram said his party sought Congress' support in Bhongir in the Lok Sabha polls. Some political proposals were made but no decision had been taken on them, he said. The CPI(M) decided to remain in the fray in Bhongir and that any change of stance will have to be discussed within the party, he said, adding it would be conveyed after a decision is made.
Despite the confusion with regard to Bhongir, CPI(M) supports Congress in the remaining 16 seats, the state secretary said. Meanwhile, Revanth Reddy said the talks were held as per the directives of the AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge, and that CPI(M) broadly decided to support Congress to defeat the BJP.
Telangana has 17 Lok Sabha seats of which the Congress had won 3 while then ruling TRS (later BRS) bagged 9 seats. The BJP had won 4 seats with 19.65 per cent votes. The CPI(M) did not make any mark as its vote share could not cross 1 per cent.
The CPI (M) secured only 82,191 votes in Telangana in 2019.
The Congress' thumping majority in the assembly elections last year has boosted the morale of the party, which is hoping to sweep the southern state under the leadership of Revanth Reddy.