Congress ready to contest all seats in Telangana: Digvijay

Amid indications of a strain in ties between Congress and TRS with regard to an electoral alliance, Congress General Secretary Digvijay Singh today said his party is prepared to contest all the seats in Telangana.
"Before the Telangana Bill was passed, Chandrasekhar Rao saab (TRS president) had given a statement consistently that once the Telangana is delivered, we shall merge the TRS with the Congress. But then they have gone back on that.
"As far as we are concerned, we are prepared for any eventuality and we are going ahead to fight all the 119 (assembly) seats and all the 17 seats of Parliament," he said.

Singh was speaking at a 'Meet the Press' organised by the Hyderabad Press Club here.
Ruling out a merger with Congress, TRS president K Chandrasekhar Rao has appointed a committee headed by party leader K Keshav Rao to look into the issue of alliances.
After the TRS ruled out merger, former ministers and other senior Congress leaders in Telangana said they favoured the Congress not having an alliance with the Telangana party.

Singh, in-charge of Congress affairs in Andhra Pradesh, said he did speak to (TRS leader) Keshav Rao, who promised to see him in Delhi, but that did not materialise.

"There is a committee headed by A K Antony in AICC which is looking into the issue of alliances. If we get a concrete proposal from the TRS for fighting the next assembly and Parliament elections in alliance, we shall examine it," he said.
Asked that some TRS leaders planned to join Congress, he said they can contact the senior leaders of Congress in Telangana or himself "if they are wanting to join".
Asked if the TRS proposed to Congress that its leader K Chandrasekhar Rao would be the first Chief Minister of the new state and if it is acceptable to Congress, he said, "Not directly."

Singh held talks with state CPI leaders here today and replying to a query, he said there is a "commonality in thinking" between Congress and CPI.
"I have always felt that the Left front is a more predictable ally than other regional groups," he said.