The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : TRS will emerge a key player: KCR

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Apr 28, 2004

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

TRS will emerge a key player: KCR

By Our Special Correspondent

HYDERABAD, APRIL 27. The Telangana Rashtra Samithi president, K. Chandrasekhar Rao, on Tuesday said the party had moved closer to achieving the goal of separate Telangana, being confident of winning 36 Assembly seats of the 42 and all six Lok Sabha seats, it had contested.

Addressing TRS supporters who came from various districts of Telangana, to attend the party's third foundation day, Mr. Rao, said it would now be able to play a key role in the formation of the next coalition Government at the Centre, to be led by the Congress.

Going by the trend, any coalition would have to depend on smaller parties and "we would use our strength to bargain for introduction of a resolution on separate Telangana in Parliament." This would happen in the next six months. In contrast, the TDP-BJP combine would not be able to win even a dozen seats in Telangana. "It is a clear verdict against the Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu and his strong anti-Telangana stand."

Earlier he unfurled the party flag. A buoyant mood pervaded the GJR Gardens at Byramulguda, on the city outskirts, the venue of the party's third anniversary celebrations, with partymen locked in animated discussion over the majority each of the TRS candidates would get.

Mr. Rao said the party's performance was good in the elections despite several challenges, "a conspiracy'' hatched by the ruling Telugu Desam party to "engineer split'' and "prop up rebels,'' lack of resources and a motivated campaign run by a section of disgruntled partymen. He recalled how attempts were made by "vested interests" to foist a case against him after depositing fake currency notes in the Global Trust Bank on the name of the party. "We have overcome all problems and a new battle begins now to mould public and political opinion in favour of separate Telangana. We will achieve it in a peaceful manner without shedding blood.'' As part of these efforts, he and senior leader A. Narendra would tour other States.

He reiterated that the Congress Working Committee had adopted a resolution respecting the recommendations of the first State Reorganisation Commission and expressed displeasure at the way "some of the expelled partymen carried a vicious campaign in a section of the media, against me and the TRS at the behest of the Chief Minister and the Andhra lobby in a section of the media.'' Mr. Rao said while he was campaigning in districts, these leaders were sitting in Hyderabad and kept on issuing statements. "All they want is posts and not Telangana. I did not yield to them and I would continue to adopt the same stand. On my part, let me recall the promise I made on the foundation day on April 27, 2001. I am not hankering after any post and I am prepared to make any sacrifice for the sake of separate Telangana, ensure one crore acres are brought under cultivation utilising Krishna and Godavari waters and quality power supply.''

Senior TRS leaders A. Narendra, S. Santosh Reddy, Ch. Rajeshwara Rao, Yadagiri Reddy, R. Papa Rao and S. Madhusudhana Chary and a number of the Lok Sabha and Assembly candidates were present.

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