CPM sets up separate committee for Telangana state

Hyderabad, Communist Party of India (Marxist) on Saturday became the first party in Andhra Pradesh to constitute an exclusive committee for soon to-be-formed Telangana state.

Senior leader and former legislator Tammineni Veerabhadram, who hails from Khammam district, has been named Secretary of CPM's Telangana unit.

Interestingly, CPM had been for long opposed to creation of Telangana state, which will come into being on June 2.

Former member of Rajya Sabha P Madhu has been chosen as new Secretary of CPM's (residuary) Andhra Pradesh unit.

He replaces incumbent Secretary B V Raghavulu, who held the post for over 14 years. Raghavulu is currently a member of the CPM's Politburo.

Both Veerabhadram and Madhu are veterans in the CPM, having risen in ranks from the party's student wing SFI. The state committee of the CPM met here this afternoon to discuss various political issues.

Party national General Secretary Prakash Karat and Politburo member Sitaram Yechury attended the meeting.

Raghavulu told reporters on the occasion that the party would take a decision on political alliances for the upcoming general and Assembly elections after the polls to Urban Local Bodies slated for March 30.

Both the state units would take independent decisions on the possible alliances, he added.