The Communist Party of India (CPI) is actively lobbying the Congress party high command seeking allotment of the Warangal Lok Sabha seat to it as part of a seat-sharing agreement for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. As a member of the INDIA alliance, the CPI was allocated only one MLA seat in the November 2023 Assembly elections.
While the CPI is pressing for the allotment of one MP seat among the five Lok Sabha constituencies of Khammam, Nalgonda, Bhuvanagiri, Peddapalli, and Warangal, it is particularly hopeful of being allotted the Warangal Lok Sabha seat.
Speaking to The Hindu over phone, CPI State secretariat committee member Takkallapalli Srinivas Rao said they are confident of being allotted the Warangal seat. “The absence of strong contenders in the Congress party to contest from the Warangal Lok Sabha seat works in our favour,” Mr. Srinivas Rao said.
“We have zeroed in on party candidate B.R. Lenin, a journalist from a vernacular news channel, keeping in mind his family background and experience as a journalist. His father, the late B.R. Bhagawan Das, was also a CPI leader,“ Mr. Srinivas Rao said.
CPI leaders say Mr. Lenin, belonging to the Mala community of the Scheduled Castes, has a strong chance of winning the seat as the BJP and BRS are reportedly planning to field candidates from the Madiga community from Warangal, which is reserved for SCs.
While the Madiga community constitutes 2.50 lakh voters, the Mala community is numerically weaker with around 1.50 lakh voters. However, the CPI remains optimistic about their candidate’s prospects as they expect the BJP and BRS candidates to evenly split the Madiga votes.
The CPI managed to secure a victory in the sole MLA seat allotted to it by the Congress in the 2023 Assembly elections, with Kunamneni Sambasiva Rao winning the Kothagudem election. Mr. Sambasiva Rao serves as the CPI’s State secretary.
