The Communist Party of India (Marxist) leadership in the state will decide whether to join hands with the Telugu Desam or the Praja Rajyam after gauging the public reaction to Chiranjeevi’s yatra. Though the CPI(M) has agreed to form an electoral pact with the Telangana Rastra Samiti, it has adopted a wait and watch policy as far as the TD and the Praja Rajyam are concerned. This was evident from the deliberations of the CPI(M) state committee which met on Monday in Hyderabad.

The committee reportedly resolved to maintain strategic silence on the pre-poll alliance with the TD for the time being. A leader who participated in the meeting said that the CPI(M) would be keenly monitoring Chiranjeevi’s yatra to find out how much clout he wielded among the public in the state. "We are also waiting for Chiranjeevi’s party to reveal its stand on key issues such as the Indo-US nuclear deal, the economic reforms, World Bank policies and the attitude towards the BJP," said the leader.

"We were informed by the Praja Rajyam leaders that all this would be spelt out during Chiranjeevi’s yatra. So we decide to wait." Meanwhile, the CPI(M) politburo member, Mr Sitaram Yechury, said that the party had not taken any decision on whether to align with the TD or with the Praja Rajyam.

"We feel that alliances among the Opposition parties in the state should be forged on the basis of the alliances at national level," he added. When asked the new friendship between the TRS and the CPI(M), Mr Yechury said, "We are moving with the aim to dislodge the Congress government as well as to keep the communal BJP away from power. For this, we are bringing anti-Congress and anti-BJP forces to one platform."

The CPI(M) leader said that the party’s central committee would take a clear stance on pre-poll alliances during its meetings to be held on October 13 and 14 in Kolkata. DC