The Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) has decided to extend support to Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) in the upcoming by-election to Munugode Assembly seat.
CPI-M Telangana unit secretary Tammineni Veerabhadram announced this on Thursday.
Veerabhadram said their party discussed the proposal of contesting the elections in alliance with the Communist Party of India (CPI) but decided to extend support to the TRS to defeat the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
He told reporters that the CPI-M welcomed Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao’s fight against the BJP.
The CPI-M leader said there was a need to check BJP which was using institutions for its political interests. He alleged that the BJP was working to destabilise non-BJP state governments by resorting to horse-trading and threatening its political opponents with raids by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and other central agencies.
Veerabhadram said union Home Minister Amit Shah had stated that if BJP wins Munugode seat, the TRS government will be dethroned in a month. He asked the BJP how it can pull down a government which enjoys an absolute majority.
He, however, clarified that their decision to support TRS was limited to Munugode bypoll.
The decision by the CPI-M came nearly two weeks after the CPI declared its support to the TRS. The CPI leaders had shared dais with CM KCR at a public meeting organised by the TRS in the constituency on August 20.
The CPI decided to extend unconditional support to the TRS as it believed that the ruling party had the firepower to defeat the BJP.
CPI National Secretary K. Narayana had alleged that the Munugode bypoll was not necessitated due to any genuine or natural reason but was being enforced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s encouragement.
Slamming BJP for dethroning state governments of other parties, Narayana had called for defeating BJP in Munugode to send a strong message to the nation.
The Assembly seat fell vacant following the resignation of Congress MLA Komatireddy Rajagopal Reddy. He also resigned from Congress party and joined the BJP at a public meeting addressed by union home minister Amit Shah in the constituency on August 21.
The by-election is likely to be held towards the end of the current year.
(The story has been published via a syndicated feed with a modified headline)
