Keshav Rao, two other Congress MPs formally join Telangana Rashtra Samithi

Congress MPs G Vivek, M Jagannath and senior party leader K Keshav Rao, who had quit the ruling party over the Telangana issue, formally joined the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) here last evening at a public meeting here in the presence of party president K. Chandrashekar Rao.

A few former ministers and leaders from the Congress, TDP and other parties also joined the TRS on the occasion.

Earlier, these leaders had resigned from the Congress, terming their exit as a support to the demand of the people of the Telangana region.

Taking to media after the public meeting, Keshav Rao said he was compelled by the Congress to take such an extreme step.

"Today, if I have gone to the TRS party, it is only because Congress asked (compelled) me to do it. It asked me to do it. It asked me, it told me that it is giving Telangana (but betrayed)," he said.

Congress MPs from Telangana have accused the Centre of following what they call a "one-step-forward-two-backward" approach when it comes to addressing their demand for a separate state.

The Centre's flip-flop over the issue began in December 2009 when the then home minister P Chidambaram promised the formation of a new state only to go back on it after a few days. The issue was later pushed before a committee headed by Justice B.N. Srikrishna.

This panel did not come up with a tangible solution, but instead presented six options. These included the creation of a Telangana Regional Council within Andhra, bifurcation of the state into Telangana with Hyderabad as the capital and Seemandhra with a new capital; bifurcation of the state into Seemandhra and Telangana after making Hyderabad a Union Territory; bifurcation of the state into Seemandhra and Telangana with enlarged Hyderabad metropolis as a Union Territory; bifurcation of the state into Rayala Telangana and Coastal Andhra; and maintenance of status quo.