CPI, CPM likely to contest 'unitedly' in AP bypoll

Hyderabad, Apr 20 (UNI) Even after differences arose between the Communist Party of India (CPI) and CPI (M) on some issues including seperate Telangana, recently, the two left parties were making efforts to contest "unitedly" in the bypoll in 18 Assembly constituencies and four Lok Sabha seats scheduled to be held on May 29 in Andhra Pradesh.

''The Left parties want to fight the election unitedly. There are some postitive indications from both the parties. The two left party leaders have exchanged their views on their own poll strategies,'' CPM state Assistant Secretary Y Venkateswara Rao told newspersons.

Stating that the final decision on forging an alliance with the CPI would be taken after a meeting on April 27, Mr Rao said the CPM would discuss the issue within the party on April 22 in the state Secretariat meeting, while the CPI would take a stand in its two-day state Council meeting, starting April 25.

''Seat sharing, alliance and support to the CPI in the election would be finalised after April 27,'' he added.

To a question, the CPM leader said neither his party nor the opposition Telugu Desam Party (TDP) have approached each other to forge an alliance in the bypoll necessiated due to the resignation of 16 MLAs and four MPs from Telangana Rastra Samithi (TRS) demanding that the Centre declare statehood for Telangana.

The other two Assembly seats-- Khairatabad and Terlam, fell vancant with the sudden death of Congress senior leader P Janardhan Reddy and Jayaprakash, respectively.

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