AAP upsets Oppn plans, to fight Telangana polls alone

In a further trouble for Opposition unity, the AAP on Friday announced that it will contest all the 119 seats in Telangana Assembly election to find a "credible alternative" to the "corrupt and incompetent duopoly" of the TRS and the Congress.

AAP's announcement came a day after BSP chief Mayawati announced a tie-up in Chhattisgarh with Ajit Jogi-led Janata Congress Chhattisgarh and issuing the first list of 22 candidates in Madhya Pradesh in the midst of its discussions with the Congress.

With the entry of AAP, though not a major force in the southern state, the Opposition now looks at a divided house in the fight against K Chandrasekhar Rao-led TRS government.

In Telangana, CPM's refusal to join the Congress-TDP-CPI coalition has already put pressure on the Opposition efforts to unseat Rao.

Congress senior leaders, including treasurer Ahmed Patel, have reached out to CPM central leadership to rethink but the state leadership is keen on going ahead with Bahujan Left Front (BLF).

The BLF had approached AAP to fight together but the party has "humbly decided to contest on its own strength" and field candidates in all 119 seats.

Announcing the decision, AAP's Telangana in-charge Somnath Bharti said the party decided to fight all the seats in Telangana as the election was forced on the state by Rao.

"The Narendra Modi government at the Centre and KCR government in Telangana have "mastered in making false promises and misleading the public. The objective with which Telangana was declared as a separate state, now is just a dream," Bharti said.

Bharti sought to blame the Congress while claiming that Rao did not fulfil any promise made before the election.

"Given the circumstances, Telangana needed a strong and aggressive Opposition to keep the government accountable to the people. But the Congress has remained a most ineffective and spineless Opposition," Bharti said while explaining why the AAP decided to contest all the seats.

"The people of Telangana are looking for a credible alternative to the corrupt and incompetent duopoly of TRS and Congress. The AAP has emerged as an honest and fresh alternative for the people," he said.