CPI-M to support TDP in Andhra bypolls

The Communist Party of India-Marxist has decided to support the Telugu Desam Party in the Assembly byelections in Andhra Pradesh, except in the four constituencies being contested by the Left parties.

The CPI-M politburo meeting held in Kolkata on Tuesday took this decision, the party's state secretariat member Y Venkateswara Rao said. He said that the CPI-M and Communist Party of India are contesting two seats each in the bypolls slated for May 29 in 18 Assembly constituencies in the state.

CPI-M is fielding its candidates in Musheerabad and Cherial and CPI in Medaram and Huzurabad constituencies. The CPI-M will also support TDP candidates in bypolls to four Lok Sabha seats. 

Asked whether this was an indication for future alliance with TDP in the general elections to the Assembly and Lok Sabha due next year, Y V Rao said this alliance would stand only for the bye-polls. However, he said that the CPI-M alliance with Telugu megastar Chiranjeevi's proposed party would be considered only after formal announcement of the launch of the party.

It may be recalled that the relations between CPI-M and TDP have a long history. CPI-M had tied up with TDP for the 1984 Lok Sabha elections. The poll alliance between the two parties continued up to 1998 Lok Sabha elections. The relations soured after TDP president N Chandrababu Naidu did a volte face and extended support to the Bharatiya Janata Party-led NDA government.

Later, TDP fought the 1999 and 2004 Assembly and Lok Sabha elections in alliance with the BJP. In 1999, the CPI-M went to the elections with CPI and managed to get only two assembly seats. The CPI-M played a crucial role in the anti-power tariff hike agitation against TDP government in the year 2000. The CPI-M chose to have an alliance with Congress in the 2004 polls, when the TDP lost power.

However, the CPI-M's relations with the Congress soon got strained and the two parties contested the civic elections in 2005 and panchayat raj polls in 2006 on their own. In fact, CPI-M preferred to have a poll understanding with TDP in these elections. The CPI-M, along with the CPI, launched Bhoo Poratam (land struggle), seeking distribution of government land to the poor.

The United National Progressive Alliance, formed by TDP and Samajwadi party along with some other regional parties, has moved closer to the Left parties. Both the UNPA and Left front have jointly organised protest rallies on farmers' plight as well as the soaring prices of essential commodities. The TDP has vowed to work with the Left Front at the national level.