TRS Chief KCR Rules Out Merger With Congress, Opens Doors to All Parties for Poll Tie-ups

Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) president K Chandrasekhar Rao (KCR) has ruled out a merger of his party's merger with Congress on 3 March 2014. "The party has unanimously decided not to merge with Congress, to develop it as a mainstream political party committed to give a voice to Telangana people and develop the region," KCR told to media after the party meeting in Hyderabad. 

Now TRS is open to forge electoral alliance with any party including the Congress, the TRS chief declared. 

TRS' move has been seen as a blow to Congress in Andhra Pradesh, especially Telangana area, where the Election Commission is likely to announce poll schedule to both Assembly and Lok Sabha.

Now TRS has formed a committee, headed by a senior party leader K Keshava Rao.

The TRS chief admitted that he had promised to merge the party with Congress in September 2013 for an unconditional Telangana state. It did not happen then. Now, TRS' refusal to merge is not a political opportunism. "I had said yes to merger, if Telangana was given unconditionally. But here, it has been given with so many conditions," KCR was quoted by India Today.

"TRS has been offended by Congress with its behaviour in the aftermath of the Telangana bill passage in the Parliament," KCR said. He alleged that the Centre has not conceded any of the demands put forth by TRS. He accused that Sonia Gandhi, the Congress party president, has been misguided by the party leaders on Telangana issue. He cited that the Centre has decided to entrust the task of law and order of Hyderabad to Governor, once the Telangana is created. 

He listed out TRS demands, which have not been met by the Congress-headed UPA government while passing Telangana bill in the Parliament.

Following are the TRS demands put forth to the Centre by KCR.

Special status should be given to eight backward districts in Telangana. 

The Hyderabad House in Delhi is an ancestral property of Telangana, which has been taken over by the Centre and made it as Andhra Pradesh Bhavan. Now AP Bhavan should be given to the new Telangana state.

The National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) should supply 500 MW extra to Telangana.

Pranahita and Vejella irrigation projects should be declared as national projects. 

The Centre should see to that, in the new Telangana, State government employees should be the natives of Telangana only.

He expressed ire over Congress for admitting suspended TRS MP and film actress Vijayashanti and other expelled TRS MLAs and leaders. 

KCR described the act of the Centre allotting seven mandals of Telangana region to residual Andhra Pradesh or the proposed Seemandhra state, citing the excuse of Polavaram project irrigation project.

Allotting the seven mandals to Seemandhra is anti-constitutional and TRS party will move it to the Supreme Court for justice on the issue, KCR said.

There are other ways to express gratitude to Sonia Gandhi for making Telangana bill passed in the Parliament, like by supporting Congress at the Centre in the event of forming the next government at the Centre, KCR told during the TRS meeting.