Hyderabad, Nov. 29: With just four days remaining for the Mayoral election, the Congress and the MIM are trying to get the best bargain before striking a deal.
The Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen has reportedly told the Congress to come for talks only if it is willing to give them two to three MLC seats. If the ruling party offers anything less than three MLCs, the MIM will take the Mayor’s seat for five years and give the Deputy Mayor’s post to the Congress. The standing committee chairperson post can be shared between the two parties.
The MIM made its intentions clear to the Congress that the Majlis will not hesitate to join the TD to win the Mayor’s seat. Such an alliance would also help the MIM to prevail upon the TD to keep the Left parties away from the constituencies in old city. Also, the TD which has replaced BJP as the main rival for the MIM in old city, will work to strengthen the MIM in its fiefdom.
The Congress, on the other hand, is also pressing for MIM support in the Rajya Sabha election scheduled next year. The party can win one more seat in the Upper House with the help of MIM and the Praja Rajyam.
The ruling party has also sent across a message to the MIM that the Mayor’s seat will not be given to it for the full term. This is the first election to the coveted post after formation of Greater Hyderabad and being the single largest party, the Congress will take the post for the maximum period of the term.
A senior Congress leader and former minister said the MIM would not have got so many seats in the elections had the Congress concentrated in old city. There is a friendly understanding between the Congress and the MIM, and that the latter should not take undue advantage of it, he said.
Senior leaders from both the parties are meeting on Monday to strike a deal.
0 comments:
Post a Comment