HYDERABAD: The CPI(M) on Saturday took no decision to withdraw from the contest in Bhongir Lok Sabha constituency but agreed to support the Congress in the remaining 16 constituencies in Telangana.
Telangana Chief Minister, A Revanth Reddy, met state leaders of the CPI(M) with a request to withdraw their candidate from Bhongir constituency and back the Congress for the victory of the INDIA bloc.
However, CPI(M) state Secretary Tammineni Veerabhadram said after the meeting that they had decided to remain in the contest in Bhongir.
Revanth Reddy, who is also President of the Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC), made certain political proposals in order to get the CPI(M) to withdraw its candidate, however, Veerabhadram said a decision in this regard would be taken after consultation with the central leadership of the party.
Veerabhadram said that in the recent Assembly elections, the Congress had agreed to leave two seats for the CPI(M) but later it did not allot the seats.
Revanth Reddy said that on the direction of the AICC President, he met the leaders of CPI(M) and placed certain proposals before them and requested their support to defeat the BJP.
“There are a couple of issues which will be resolved by evening or tomorrow morning, ” he said without elaborating.
Revanth Reddy admitted due to some local factors, they have some differences but in the larger interest of the alliance, they agreed to work together.
Julakanti Ranga Reddy, Sitaramulu Veeraiah and other CPI(M) leaders were present in the meeting.
On April 19, Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka had met the CPI(M) leaders and held talks with them.
The CPI(M) had announced that it will contest all 17 Lok Sabha seats in the state on its own. It, however, announced a candidate for only the Bhongir seat.
The Marxist party has fielded Mohammed Jahangir from Bhongir seat while the Congress has named Chamala Kiran Kumar Reddy as its candidate.
The Congress had made attempts to forge an alliance with Left parties during Assembly polls held in November 2023. It could strike an alliance only with the CPI as the CPM rejected the alliance after the Congress offered just one Assembly seat each for the CPI and the CPM.
The CPI accepted one seat (Kothagudem), contested the election and won while the CPM contested 14 seats on its own but drew a blank.