The Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) which spearheaded the Telangana agitation on Monday decided not to merge the party with the Congress.
However, the party’s highest decision making authority, the politburo and the general body consisting of almost all the senior leaders kept the option of alliance with other political parties including Congress open.
Announcing the decisions after a marathon six hour closed door meeting at the Telangana Bhavan, party chief K Chandrasekhar Rao said: “More than 99 per cent of the party cadre and people of the region through letters, messages and in social media urged us not to merge TRS with Congress.
So, it was unanimously decided to keep TRS a separate political entity, as the fight for statehood has been achieved.”
Rao also announced a five member committee headed by Rajya Sabha member K Keshav Rao to hold consultations with other political parties. “Congress is also a political party... so might even offer our support if it forms government at the Centre,” Rao said explaining the need to keep TRS as a major force in the reconstruction of country’s 29th state.
He said that Congress never consulted the TRS right from the day CWC took the decision till the Bill was passed. The TRS appalled by the way the Congress high command rejected several suggestions proposed by the TRS, he added.
Rao opined that Sonia was misguided on the issue of demands put forth by the TRS. “We have met Sonia Gandhi, the Prime Minister and even the President of India to accord special status to Telangana, not to handover the submerging mandals of Khammam to Seemaandhra, national status to Pranahitha Chevella project,” he said, pointing out that Congress leadership instead tried to create rift with the Telangana-JAC and compared the TRS with AAP.
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