The CPI(M) has decided to contest a ‘‘minimum number of seats’’ to avoid the division of the ‘‘anti-TDP/BJP’’ votes in Andhra Pradesh but even its modest demand will extract a heavy price — the Lok Sabha seats held by high-profile Congress MPs, Jaipal Reddy and Renuka Chowdhury.At its recent Central Committee meeting in Hyderabad, the CPI(M) made it clear that it did not want to be a part of a Congress-led alliance but at the same time decided to keep the ‘‘secular vote’’ intact. This would mean CPI(M) will contest fewer seats than it did in 1999 (48 Assembly and 7 LS seats) and ‘‘we expect other parties to adopt a similar approach,’’ politburo member Prakash Karat said. But among the ‘‘few’’ seats it insists on contesting are Khammam and Miryalguda — held by Renuka Chowdhury and Jaipal Reddy respectively.The CPI(M) state committee has identified 27 Assembly seats and three LS seats that the party wants to contest. While the Assembly seats may be whittled down in the event of a ‘‘broad’’ seat-sharing arrangement with Congress, the party is set on contesting at least two of the three LS seats (the third is Nellore). Khammam and Miryalguda top the list because the party gained a substantial vote even when it fought ‘‘on our own,’’ Karat said.In 1999, the CPI(M) got 1.84 lakh votes in Khammam while Congress won the seat with 3.28 lakh votes. In Miryalguda, the CPI(M) candidate got 1.3 lakh votes while Jaipal Reddy romped home with over four lakh votes.Given the difference between the Congress and CPI(M) voteshare, the CPI(M)’s insistence may seem misplaced. But according to the party’s logic, it only contests seats where the Left movement has a strong base. Therefore, regardless of whether the Congress leaves these seats, the CPI(M) plans to fight them.The CPI, which also held its national executive in Hyderabad last weekend, has adopted a similar stand. In the interest of defeating the TDP-BJP combine, the CPI state unit has decided to go in for ‘‘broad electoral adjustments’’ with the Congress and the Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS), CPI leader D. Raja said.Unlike the CPI(M), which is against the Telangana movement and will have no truck with TRS, the CPI is ready to have ‘‘seat adjusmtents’’ with TRS. But an electoral pact with TRS will be minus any ‘‘conditions or commitments’’, Raja said. In other words, the CPI will not necessarily endorse TRS demand for a separate Telangana during the campaign.The CPI also wants to contest ‘‘minimum’’ two LS seats — Nalgonda and Bhadrachalam. It plans to fight 20 Assembly seats — a figure that could come down if a seat-sharing is worked out.
