TRS with Grand Alliance, not joined NDA, say party leaders

"Our only objective is to secure statehood for Telangana. Since the NDA stood a chance of coming to power at the Centre, we have extended support to it only to achieve Telangana state," senior TRS leaders T Harish Rao and Nayini Narasimha Reddy told reporters here on Monday.

At the same time, the TRS leaders, however, said they continued to be part of the four-party Grand Alliance in the state.

"We have nowhere deviated from our position. Our support to the NDA is only issue-based," Harish Rao and Narasimha Reddy added.

"Whoever forms the next government in the state, we want them to first pass a resolution in the Assembly seeking statehood for Telangana. We will extend our support to only such party," they said.

They rebutted claims that the TRS was resorting to such blackmailing tactics only to grab ministerial berths in the next government. "Ours is a one-point programme--achieving Telangana state. We are not interested in any post or position," they asserted.

Replying to a question, they said the TRS would certainly seek Congress support for enacting a legislation in Parliament on Telangana.

"Our leader K Chandrasekhara Rao said he would meet AICC president Sonia Gandhi with the sole purpose of seeking her support for the Telangana Bill when it is moved in Parliament. It does not mean we are going to support the UPA," they added.

Harish Rao and Narasimha Reddy took exception to criticism that the TRS was playing opportunistic politics by supporting the NDA. "The coming days will reveal who is opportunistic," they said.