M. Satyanarayana Rao and K. Chandrasekhar Rao

HYDERABAD: Telangana Rashtra Samithi president K. Chandrasekhar Rao on Tuesday announced his resignation to the Karimnagar Lok Sabha seat and dared Congress MLAs and MPs from Telangana to quit saying his party's elected representatives would follow suit.

Within two hours of his announcement, Minister for Sports M. Satyanarayana Rao also offered to step down from the Cabinet and quit as MLA but on two conditions. He asked only Mr. Chandrasekhar Rao to contest against him and take `political sanyas' in the event of the latter's defeat. On his part, he would quit public life if trounced by the TRS chief.

Following his conditional offer, Mr. Satyanarayana Rao gave his letter of resignation from the Cabinet to the APCC president K. Keshava Rao when the latter called on him at his residence. The APCC chief later met the Chief Minister and handed over the Minister's letter.

`Personal fight'

Addressing a press conference, Mr. Chandrasekhar Rao said that he would be sending his resignation to Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee. His action followed the challenge thrown by Mr. Satyanarayana Rao that both should resign their seats and test their strength in a Parliamentary by- election from Karimnagar. The Minister's poser was endorsed by APCC chief Dr. K. Keshava Rao who said he would ensure that the by-poll was held within a month.

However, the Congress party was caught in a bind with the TRS chief's announcement. Mr. M. Satyanarayana Rao as well Dr. Keshava Rao, evaded straight answers on the issue. While the Minister's offer was conditional, the PCC chief took the stand that it was a personal fight between the two.

Mr. Chandrasekhar Rao said that the Congress leaders had become jittery following the success of `Telangana Samarasankharavam', his party's public meeting at Siddipet last week and began to indulge in mud-slinging.

Rejecting the Congress leaders' claim that TRS had won the seats because of their alliance, he said, it was the Congress that had got a new lease of life because of the Telangana movement.

Stating that TRS never hankered after power, he declared that he would fight till his last breath for the creation of Telangana State.

Consensus claim

He accused the Congress of going back on its pre-poll assurance and beating around the bush although a consensus had emerged on Telangana at the national level.

Justifying his twin conditions, Mr. Satyanarayana Rao said: "Why should I believe in his announcement? He may prefer going back to the Assembly and field his nephew T. Harish Rao against me from Karimnagar. Unless he declares that he is going to personally contest and also agree to taking political `sanyas' on being defeated, I do not have to resign."

Not a referendum

In contrast to the TRS chief 's stand, the Minister refused to describe the likely by-election as a referendum on Telangana and said people could come to their own conclusion.

"Moreover, it is a personal fight between us," he added

"Mr. Chandrasekhar Rao had targeted me at the Siddipet meeting following which I challenged him. If he does not accept my offer, the party will field someone else," he maintained.

Dr. Keshava Rao, refuting the TRS' criticism, said the Congress party had kept its word and included the proposal for constituting a second States Reorganisation Commission in its manifesto besides making sincere efforts to evolve a consensus on Telangana.

No deadline was fixed by the UPA on its commitment but TRS kept on misleading people on the timing for a decision on Telangana.

Chief Minister Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy shrugged off questions by saying: "Let us see. I will get information on what they have said. We have to find out whether the TRS is still in the UPA. I will react at the appropriate time."

The Telugu Desam Party said it would field a candidate in Karimnagar if a by-election was held.

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