HYDERABAD: The two main left parties, CPI and CPM, will work with the main objective of defeating the BJP in the ensuing by-election in Munugode.
The left parties are holding meetings at the ground level and taking opinion from the party cadres on whether to field its own candidate, support TRS or Congress or any other option is available.
The CPI had won the Munugode segment for five terms. The last time it won the seat was in 2009. However, it never won the seat on its own and always had the support of either the Congress or the TDP along with the CPM.
Sources told STOI that the field-level cadres of left parties are in favour of supporting the ruling TRS. CPM state secretary Tammineni Veerabhadram said their main agenda was to defeat BJP and that a decision would be taken within a week whether to field a candidate or support a party which can defeat the saffron forces.
CPI former MLA from Munugode, Palla Venkat Reddy, said the party cadres are divided with some of them favouring entering the electoral battle and others suggesting extending support either to TRS or Congress.
Referring to the challenge issued by BJP state president Bandi Sanjay that the left parties should contest the bypoll, Venkat Reddy said: “Sanjay is talking like an amateur. You don’t need courage to contest as all you need to do is file the nomination. You need courage, strategy and support of voters to win an election and now I am throwing a challenge at Sanjay to try and win the bypoll. The downfall of Sanjay and BJP will commence from the Munugode bypoll result.”
