No merger

• It is clear BJP will form govt; TRS would like to wield influence
• However, post-poll options open; To help Congress, if need be
• Asserts his decision is in larger interests of Telangana region
• Cong never took TRS into confidence during T Bill passage
• Claims Sonia Gandhi never asked for the merger of TRS into her party
• Sets up a committee to explore ties with other like-minded parties
• TRS promises 12% reservation for tribal people

Hyderabad: Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) president K Chandrasekhar Rao on Monday ruled out his party's merger with the Congress. He also indicated that TRS would prefer to move closer to BJP in the post-poll scenario so that it can get maximum funds for the overall development of Telangana.

Speaking to media persons after a four-hour-long meeting with the Legislative, the Parliamentary and the politburo wings of the party, Rao said that the party was unanimous on the decision. He said the party had also constituted a five-member committee to discuss alliances with other like-minded parties. The committee consists of K Keshava Rao, Nayani Narsimha Rao, B Vinod, Etela Rajender and Kadiam Srihari. He said, "I got lots of SMSes, even posts, telling me not to merge TRS with the Congress.”

KCR said that they had decided not to merge with Congress as the ruling party had never taken them into confidence when the Telangana Bill was prepared. None of their demands for the new State was conceded by the Centre. He said that whenever he spoke in harsh terms and made certain demands, he was criticised by Congress leaders as being anti-Telangana. He kept quiet so to ensure that the Bill was passed in Parliament.

Rao said that TRS would be in the forefront of ushering rapid and overall development in the new State. “Everyone knows that BJP is coming to power after the elections, and hence TRS would like to show its might and wield influence by winning 14 MP seats and about 100 MLAs. It will help us secure necessary funds from the Centre and also undo the injustice meted out to the region during the bifurcation,” he said.

Telangana, he said, also wants a special category status. Quoting the Planning Commission, he said that eight out 10 districts of Telangana were backward and hence the region should be accorded the special status. Even the demand for 500 MW power from NTPC was not conceded.

He said TRS was also upset with the Congress as it had thrown open its doors for those who were suspended and expelled by it. If they had wanted a hand of friendship from the TRS, the Congress leadership should not have admitted Vijayashanti into the party. The Congress party also tried to provoke the Telangana Political Joint Action Committee (TJAC). The Congress also proved that it was an undemocratic party as it decided to transfer seven mandals of Bhadrachalam to the successor State.

He also said Congress Chief Sonia Gandhi was misguided by Congress leaders. Even senior leaders like Jaipal Reddy, D Srinivas and others had not built any pressure on the high command to see that the new State got maximum benefits. While the Seemandhra leaders succeeded in getting what they wanted, the T leaders failed miserably, he rued. They even failed to see that the Centre did not merge the seven mandals of Bhadrachalam with successor state. “They have not agreed to concede even a single demand of ours,” he lambasted.

The TRS chief admitted that he had promised in September last to merge his party with the Congress, if they announced Telangana. But the situation changed drastically thereafter, hurting the interests of TRS and the Telangana region.

KCR, however, kept his post-poll options open. "We could still be supporting a Congress government in Delhi with our MPs after the elections," he said, adding the “TRS will exist and will fight the elections.”

Spelling out his stance post-creation, he said, "I was the vanguard of the Telangana movement. I will be the vanguard of the reconstruction of Telangana."

Interestingly, he compared Adilabad district to Kashmir. "What Kashmir is to India, Adilabad is to Telangana. There is a need to build projects in Adilabad and Warangal and develop them," he said, calling upon the TRS leaders to rebuild Telangana themselves. He also promised 12 per cent reservations for tribals in Telangana region. He also assured that the tribal leaders would get to head posts in tribal areas.

Rao said that the TRS would henceforth be a pure political party and would have “Pakka political agenda.”

This comment came in for sharp criticism from Congress leaders like former minister D Sridhar Babu and Ponnala Lakshmaiah. They said it was Congress which promised T State and made it a reality. Lakshmaiah said KCR’s statement proved that he was opportunistic. “Congress is a national party and is not dependent on TRS,” he said.

Meanwhile, two TDP MLAs Nagesh and Satyavathi Rathod officially joined the TRS in the presence of KCR.