TRS chief welcomes Telangana announcement

Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) chief K. Chandrasekhara Rao Tuesday welcomed the Congress' decision to carve out Telangana state but said he would not celebrate till the relevant bill is passed in parliament.

Soon after Congress announced its decision to carve out separate Telangana state, Rao reached the party headquarters Telangana Bhavan to a warm welcome by his hundreds of supporters.

Flashing victory sign, KCR, as Rao is popularly known, garlanded the statues of 'Telugu Talli' and TRS ideologue, the late Jayashankar.

He said TRS would wait for final details and some clarifications with Hyderabad as common capital.

"Our message to Andhra brothers is not to worry," he told a television channel. He was referring to apprehensions among people from Andhra and Rayalaseema living in Hyderabad.

KCR has not reacted to remarks Congress leader Digvijaya Singh made at the news conference in Delhi

"KCR has repeatedly said he will merge TRS with Congress (if separate Telangana state is created). We shall await reaction of TRS. We will be favourably inclined to discuss the issue," said the Congress general secretary.

It was after KCR's indefinite fast in December 2009 that the central government had announced the process for formation of Telangana state but later put it on hold due to protests in two other regions.