TRS rules out merger with Congress

The party appoints a committee of senior leaders to take a call on alliance

Dashing the hopes of Congress, Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) tonight ruled out any merger with the national party here today and even refused to commit to an electoral alliance, ending days of speculation about the prospects of the two parties coming together.

TRS also appointed a committee of senior leaders, headed by K Keshav Rao, to take a call on an alliance if any party approaches it, including Congress, TRS supremo K Chandrasekhar Rao told reporters after a marathon general body meeting of the party which unanimously decided against merger with Congress.

"TRS has unanimously decided not to merge with Congress. We have appointed a committee to look into the issue of alliance, if anyone approaches us," he said, adding TRS MPs could support Congress after Lok Sabha elections.

Lashing out at Congress, he alleged not even a single major demand of TRS was considered.

"We were not taken on board," he said. TRS had approached the Prime Minister and the Group of Ministers tasked with roadmap for the formation of Telangana with a charter of demands but in vain.

He criticised Congress for coming out with an ordinance handing over certain villages facing submergence due to Polavaram multi-purpose irrigation project, to Seemandhra, and making Hyderabad a joint capital as well as allocating Andhra Pradesh Bhavan in Delhi to the residual state.

"AP Bhavan is our hereditary property and Hyderabad has been made joint capital for ten years. The distribution of employees is also not good for Telangana. The Governor has been made a super-cabinet with law and order being entrusted to him," Rao said.

He said his offer to merge TRS with Congress came with a rider that it should be unconditional but now a number of conditions have been imposed.