Praja Kutami

Not to be confused with Maha Kutami (2009).
Praja Kutami
LeaderN. Uttam Kumar Reddy
L. Ramana
Chada Venkat Reddy
M. Kodandaram
Founded11 September 2018
Dissolved23 January 2019
IdeologySecularism
Communism
Social liberalism
Democratic socialism
Social democracy
Political positionCentre-left to far-left
AllianceUnited Progressive Alliance
Seats in Telangana Legislative Assembly
21 / 119
(2018)
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The Praja Kutami (transl. People's Alliance) or Maha Kutami (transl. Grand Alliance)[1] was an electoral alliance between the Indian National Congress, Telugu Desam Party, Communist Party of India, and the Telangana Jana Samithi in the run-up to the 2018 Telangana Legislative Assembly election. It was formed on 11 September 2018 with the sole purpose of defeating the Telangana Rashtra Samithi in the polls that year.[2] The party was seen as a major contender during the election campaign,[3] however, the TRS managed to win a landslide victory and soundly defeated the alliance in the elections.[4] On 23 January 2019, the alliance was called off when the Congress announced that it would contest all of the seats, both Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabha, in the upcoming elections in Andhra Pradesh.[5] Until then, there were talks about the alliance contesting together in the 2019 Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly and general elections.[6]

The alliance was the first and only time the Congress and the TDP, once arch-rivals, teamed up together to defeat a common enemy.[1][2] As such, throughout its existence, it was criticised as an 'unholy alliance' by the TRS and the BJP.[7]

  1. ^ a b "Telangana's Grand Alliance Threatens to Topple the TRS. Here's How It Got There". The Wire. Retrieved 4 December 2023. On September 11, when once arch-rivals Congress and Telugu Desam Party (TDP) formed a grand alliance (Mahakutami or Prajakutami) in a bid to defeat the ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) in poll-bound Telangana, there were several questions about its future.
  2. ^ a b "Congress, TDP, Left form grand alliance to fight Telangana election". Hindustan Times. 11 September 2018. Retrieved 3 December 2023.
  3. ^ "Telangana Assembly election: KCR's dreams of cakewalk fade as TDP-Congress alliance gets its act together". Firstpost. 10 November 2018. Retrieved 3 December 2023.
  4. ^ Reddy, Ravi (11 December 2018). "TRS retains power with landslide win". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 3 December 2023.
  5. ^ "Congress To Contest Alone In Assembly, Lok Sabha Polls In Andhra Pradesh". NDTV.com. Retrieved 3 December 2023.
  6. ^ "No grand alliance in Andhra Pradesh, Congress says it will go alone". Hindustan Times. 23 January 2019. Retrieved 3 December 2023.
  7. ^ "TRS, BJP say Naidu meeting Rahul is 'unholy alliance' of Congress-TDP". The Times of India. 1 November 2018. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 3 December 2023.