HYDERABAD: Minister for Sports M. Satyanarayana Rao, who tendered his resignation two days ago owning moral responsibility for the party's debacle in the Karimnagar byelection, is on the look out for new accommodation.

Even before a decision is taken on his resignation, he is planning to vacate his official bungalow. He has sounded out Revenue Minister Dharmana Prasada Rao to hand over his flat in old MLA quarters in Hyderguda.

Speaking to The Hindu on Saturday, Mr. Rao insisted that it would not be proper for him to go back on his resignation having done so twice in the past.

He would be happy being `just an MLA'.

Mr. Rao, who was in an introspective mood, said his very decision to contest the Assembly election in 2004 was perhaps wrong.

Speaker's post

A leader of his seniority should have kept away from local politics.

His second mistake was joining the Cabinet instead of insisting on the Speaker's post.

He said his challenge to Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) president K. Chandrasekhar Rao to seek a re-election in Karimnagar was misunderstood.

"I meant it to be a fight on a non-party basis between us to disprove KCR's claim that I won the Karimnagar Assembly seat only because of his party's support. The truth was that he had fielded a TRS nominee against me."

He said that that APCC president K. Keshav Rao later precipitated matters by declaring that he would ensure early poll if the TRS chief chose to seek re-election.

Thus, he preferred to own moral responsibility in this issue though he was not directly responsible for the byelection.

As for becoming a Minister, he said Chief Minister Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy and his political adviser K. V. P. Ramachandra Rao pleaded with him to accept the offer.

"But they hurt me by offering the Endowments portfolio."

He was also hurt by the Chief Minister's silence when news reports appeared alleging that the ACB found him guilty in a land scam, he recalled.

He used a local saying to sum up the developments— "Khaaya nahi, piyaa nahi, glass phod diya"-- to suggest that he burnt his fingers for no fault of his.

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