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Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Dec 12, 2006
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Telangana: new strategy to sustain sentiment

W. Chandrakanth

TRS move to replicate victory in Karimnagar in more segments by asking MPs and MLAs to resign and forcing byelections

HYDERABAD: Having tasted a morale boosting win with a record majority in the Karimnagar byelection, the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) is keen to replicate the victory in a couple of more constituencies to sustain the Telangana sentiment.

According to sources, the TRS leadership, which has been considering adopting either All-Assam Students Union module of agitation for attaining its goal of separate Statehood or that of the Jharkhand agitation, is now contemplating "an easier way out" -- that of testing the Telangana waters further.

Its plan includes asking its Hanamkonda MP B. Vinod Kumar to tender his resignation some time in June and forcing a byelection. Mr. Vinod Kumar won this seat with a huge majority of 2,17,067 votes in the 2004 elections.

The argument in favour of the move gained approval in the party after the groundswell of support for the Telangana cause in Karimnagar. Those in its favour are arguing that "it would be better for the people to re-assert their sentiment so that the movement could be kept simmering without recourse to agitations".

Congress MLAs worried

The Siddipet Assembly segment represented by T. Harish Rao could be yet another seat that could witness a similar byelection in 2008. "It is one of the safe constituencies where we don't have to worry about the prospects," a senior TRS leader told The Hindu on Monday.

Though the move looks innocuous at the outset, it has the potential to prevent other parties from making fresh inroads. Congress leaders in Telangana are a disconcerted lot in the post-Karimnagar scenario.

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