Congress wants Telangana alliance to be treated as single entity

On the eve of Telangana Assembly results, the Congress-led 'People's Front' on Monday told Governor ESL Narasimhan that it should be treated as a single entity in the event of no party getting a clear majority.

"In the event of a situation where the governor has to invite the single largest entity to form a government, we said this is our pre-poll alliance and these are the papers and documents... We have to be treated as a single entity," State Congress president N Uttam Kumar Reddy told reporters.

"We submitted them (documents) to Governor Narasimhan," he said and cited the Supreme Court verdicts that pre-poll alliance be treated as a single entity.

Reddy was flanked by leaders of Congress allies -- TDP, CPI and Telangana Jana Samiti (TJS).

The Congress has taken the stand as apparently, it is keen that in case of a hung assembly, rival Telangana Rashtra Samith (TRS) is not invited to form a government first if it gets fewer seats than the Front, even though it may be the single largest party.

Reddy said the delegation has submitted the documents furnished to the Election Commission about the pre-poll alliance of the parties and also their common agenda.

The delegation told the governor about the sanctity and constitutional validity of a pre-poll alliance, Reddy said.

"If such a situation arises.... Congress, Telugu Desam Party, CPI, TJS have to be treated as a single entity," he said.

The Congress leader also said appropriate security should be given to candidates who win in the elections.

Asserting that the alliance will get a clear majority, TJS leader M Kodandaram said the coalition should be treated as a single entity in such a context.