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TRS rules out alliance with Congress for LS polls

Last Updated 15 March 2014, 20:16 IST

Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) chief K Chandrasekhar Rao on Saturday ruled out an alliance with the Congress for the 2014 general elections, thereby betraying the ruling party which engineered the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh in a hope to gain electoral dividends.

Indicating that the two day negotiations with Congress secretary Digvijay Singh had not borne fruit, the TRS chief categorically announced after the party’s election committee meeting that they will contest in all the Assembly and Parliamentary constituencies. 
“From tomorrow, we will expose the Congress and show whether our leaders are joining the Congress or Congress MLAs, ministers and MPs are making a bee line to join us,” Rao said.

Former home minister Sabita Indra Reddy and his son Karthik Reddy are all set to join the TRS in a day or two. Their exit threatens the poll prospects of Union minister Jaipal Reddy from Chevella in Ranga Reddy district . 

The prospects seem so bleak that senior Congress leader in charge of campaign committee Damodar Rajanarasimha said that only if Priyanka Gandhi contests from Medak, the party had a chance for survival in the region.

Even as the Congress leaders blamed Rao for changing his mind and word after the creation of Telangana, the 60-year-old leader said that the TRS now has an unique opportunity to rebuild the region from scratch. 

“We would have merged, had there been fair play by the Congress leaders. They want merger but keep picking up our MLAs and MPs. 

They want alliance, but advise Telangana student groups and activists to join the Congress and even offered them seats,” said Rao, pointing to how Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh and Singh had offered Telangana JAC chairman Kodandaram a ticket to contest in the Assembly elections.
Survey effect

The TRS decision is encouraged by NDTV survey that said the party is likely to win in 11 of the 17 Parliamentary constituencies, giving only five seats to the Congress and one to the MIM. 

Recent surveys also showed that the TRS had a 42 per cent popular vote share, which could translate into a minimum of 74 Assembly seats in a house of 119. 

Present political trends show that the TRS is very strong in six of the 10 districts of Telangana–Nizamabad, Karimnagar, Medak, Adila-bad, Warangal and Mahbubnagar.  

The move came in the back drop that the TDP would align with the BJP and that the MIM would finally join the Congress bandwagon. 

But the TRS has already opened up talks with the MIM and CPI.

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(Published 15 March 2014, 20:16 IST)

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