Hyderabad: The Congress is facing uncertainty over support from its Left allies ahead of the coming Graduates' constituency MLC elections in Telangana, with the CPI yet to endorse its candidates and the CPM weighing an independent contest.
The Congress has already announced its candidates for the Mahabubnagar-Rangareddy-Hyderabad and Warangal-Nalgonda-Khammam Graduates' constituencies.
Though the CPI is an ally of the Congress in Telangana and backed it in the assembly and Lok Sabha elections, it contested the municipal and Singareni elections independently, signalling a willingness to chart a separate course. With the MLC polls approaching, the CPI has not officially extended support and is focusing on voter registration.
Sources indicate the CPI may join hands with the CPM for the MLC elections, though neither has made an announcement. TPCC president Mahesh Kumar Goud approached the CPM state leadership and sought support, but the party has not committed itself.
CPM state secretary John Wesley said the party was considering contesting. He recalled that Prof K Nageshwar, who had the party's support, won the Hyderabad-Rangareddy-Mahabubnagar Graduates' constituency twice.
The development adds to the Congress leadership's concerns after a setback in the recent TGSRTC union elections, leaving party cadres worried about the candidates' prospects.
The Mahabubnagar-Rangareddy-Hyderabad constituency is expected to be particularly significant for Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy, who hails from the erstwhile Mahabubnagar district. The Congress failed to win the Mahabubnagar, Chevella, Hyderabad, Secunderabad and Malkajgiri Lok Sabha seats despite securing a majority of assembly seats in the state.
The Congress has announced R Ram Reddy Sarvottam Reddy and Sama Ramamohan Reddy as its candidates for the two seats, while the Jana Sena Party has named Dr Gadala Srinivasa Rao for the Warangal-Nalgonda-Khammam constituency and begun campaigning.