The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Telangana a reality by December 2005: KCR

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Monday, Jul 12, 2004

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Telangana a reality by December 2005: KCR

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI, JULY 11. The Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) president, K.Chandrashekhar Rao, today claimed that a separate Telangana would become a reality by December 2005. Mr Rao, who is also a Minister without portfolio in the Manmohan Singh Government, said that the statehood bill would be brought before Parliament during the winter session this year.

Mr Rao's comments came during the course of an interview to a news channel. In a statement issued today, the channel quoted the Minister as saying that the Congress president and United Progressive Alliance (UPA) chairperson, Sonia Gandhi, had assured him that "the issue of the new state will be settled through legislation in Parliament after the Maharashtra Assembly polls."

In a free wheeling chat with the news channel, Mr Rao dismissed suggestions that he was in the race for the Chief Ministership. He made it clear that the first Chief Minister of Telangana would be a Dalit.

Reiterating his commitment to the movement for the creation of the State, Mr Rao said that he was even willing to lay down his life to ensure statehood for the region.

The TRS president did not attach much importance to the lukewarm response of the Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister, Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy, and instead referred to the assurances given by the Congress president and some other parties supporting the UPA Government. "The UPA is totally committed to the creation of Telangana and I am sure that it will become a reality,'' he said.

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