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Professor Kodandaram, leader of Telangana Jana Samithi, is voicing concern over the Congress party’s activities in Miryalaguda assembly segment. BC leader R. Krishnaiah is contesting from this segment now which is being opposed by TJS. Kodandaram has earlier agreed to give Janagama ticket to Congress former minister Ponnala Lakshmaiah. The professor took that decision to protect the interests of the BC leader.

Kodandaram is now concerned that the Congress is not reciprocating and it is hurting the interests of TJS at every step. Even in the Mahakutami seat sharing, the Congress has prolonged the matter and caused initial problems for the allies. Later, the Congress promised to give 8 seats to TJS but has in fact given just 6 seats. This has forced Kodandaram to go ahead and make his party put up candidates in 14 segments.

The TJS has been appealing for mutual cooperation between the Mahakutami allies regardless of the problems cropping here and there. Consequently, Kodandaram expected the Congress to extend its cooperation with TJS after he sacrificed his own seat when he dropped out of race for Janagama. He has appealed to the Congress leaders to abide by the alliance dharma which is necessary to unitedly oppose the rivals.

Regardless of the differences, Kodandaram has decided to take part and share dais at the Sonia Gandhi’s election meeting at Medchal. Mahakutami allies are preparing to make this meeting a show of strength.

Politically long-established Congress family of Marri Shashidhar Reddy received a big blow from ‘Mahakutami’ as his Sanathnagar assembly segment ticket is now allotted to Telugu Desam Party as part of alliance seat sharing. Son of former CM late Marri Chenna Reddy, Shashidhar Reddy has a long-standing relationship with Sanathnagar voters. Over the years, his influence has declined leading to his getting reduced to a third place in 2014 elections.

Now TDP has allotted Sanathnagar ticket to its senior leader Kuna Venkatesh Goud, who is preparing to take on TRS candidate and Minister Talasani Srinivas Yadav. In 2014, Talasani won from Sanathnagar segment on TDP ticket but later defected to the TRS and became minister. In this election, Sasidhar Reddy contested on Congress ticket and he could not even secure a second place.

Considering the latest political situation, the Congress has weighed winning chances of nominees and eventually allotted Sanathnagar to TDP. This has enraged followers of Shashidhar Reddy who threatened the Congress party with dire consequences. He asserted that if he was denied ticket, he would look for his own alternatives and that he would have his own commitments to fulfill. Seeing the threats from Sasidhar Reddy, the TDP leaders have appealed to the Congress to do damage control and ensure that there would be no split of Mahakutami vote bank. Congress high command has also spoken to Shashidhar Reddy to go soft but he seems to have taken it very serious. His followers are also threatening to work against the Mahakutami candidate.

The Congress party announced that it would contest in 93 assembly segments leaving 14 for TDP, 8 for TJS and 3 for CPI. This total comes to 118 seats. The remaining one seat has been promised by Congress to Telangana Inti Party (TIP) which was formed by friends-turned-foes of KCR.

Congress Telangana Election Affairs Incharge R.C. Khuntia spoke to the media after holding talks with high command at Sonia Gandhi residence in Delhi. He said that their party had finalised names for 74 segments out of 93 and the first list would be made public on November 10. The candidates for remaining 19 segments would be finalised after a meeting with Rahul Gandhi. A final decision was yet to be taken on Telangana Inti Party.

The first list for 74 segments has been handed over to Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee president Uttam Kumar Reddy. He will formally announce the list at a media conference in the presence of other Mahakutami partners at 11 a.m. on November 10. The internal party discussions will be held on remaining 20 segments on November 11 and 12. These seats involved sorting out of rebel problems.

With this, curtains came down on the prolonged stalemate in seat sharing talks among Mahakutami partners.

The Grand Alliance partners have finally reached a conclusion on the number of seats to be shared among them for December elections in Telangana. Congress, which is the main opposition party, will contest 95 out of the total 119 seats. It has agreed to give 14 seats for TDP, 6 for Telangana Jana Samithi and 4 for CPI.

With this, the troubles in seat sharing between allies of Grand Alliance are solved. The Mahakutami leaders and cadres are in an upbeat mood after the sudden turn of political developments at the national level. The readiness among anti-BJP parties including Congress for a front has sent positive signals.

Election analysts say the national level anti-Modi sentiment among opposition parties may have an impact on the Telangana polls in December as well. Already, TRS chief KCR is moving to counter this effect and chalking out strategies to counter Mahakutami.