Hyderabad: A mega rally by Congress chief Rahul Gandhi and TDP supremo Chandrababu Naidu is in the works as the two parties seek to cement partnership for upcoming Telangana Assembly elections and for the 2019 Lok Sabha battle.
According to sources, the joint rally, the first election meeting in which the leadership of both parties will share the dais, is likely to be held in Hyderabad in the last week of November.
The Congress, TDP, Telangana Jana Samithi and the CPI have joined hands to form a ‘grand alliance’ for the December 7 Assembly elections in Telangana.
While the Congress, the main opposition in the state, is contesting on the majority of seats, the TDP will field candidates in 14 seats, the TJS in eight and CPI in three. The counting of votes for the 119-seat Assembly will be held on December 11.
However, in a jolt to the nascent alliance, the TJS Vice-President PL Vishweshwar Rao told reporters that the party would contest 12 seats. Stating that TJS is contesting only in those constituencies where it is strong, Rao said discussion could continue on seat sharing.
Alleging a tacit understanding between K Chandrashekar Rao’s TRS and the BJP, the Congress has accused the CM of going back on his promise to make a Scheduled Caste leader as Chief Minister after formation of a separate Telangana.
The joint rally is likely to be held around the time the opposition holds a crucial meeting to cobble together an anti-BJP alliance for next year’s General Elections.
Efforts to stich such an alliance are being led by Naidu who has held meetings with top opposition leaders, including Mamata Banerjee, Deve Gowda, KD Kumaraswamy and MK Stalin in recent weeks.
So far, the Congress, TDP, Aam Aadmi Party, JD(S), NCP and Trinamool Congress have confirmed attendance for the meeting.
Naidu, who broke off from the BJP-led NDA earlier this year over special status to Andhra Pradesh, has said parties would decide on the future course of action at the meeting.
