Speculation over Cong LP merging with TRS in Telangana

With 11 Congress MLAs having announced their decision to join the TRS in Telangana, speculation is rife that they could seek merger of the Congress legislature party with the ruling party.

Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader M Bhatti Vikramarka, who is the Leader of Opposition, has met Assembly Speaker Pocharam Srinivasa Reddy and urged him to issue a notice to the Congress before taking any action on the merger issue, party sources said.

The Congress had won 19 seats in the 119-member house in the Assembly polls held in December last, but 11 of them MLAs have since announced their decision to join the TRS. The MLAs would not attract the provisions of anti-defection law only if their number is two-third of the total number.

It is being speculated in the event of two more Congress MLAs deserting the party, the rebel group would seek a formal merger of Congress Legislature Party with the TRS.

However, Vikramarka firmly rejected the suggestion. "How can Congress be merged with TRS which is a regional party," he said in a statement
TRS sources said on Wednesday, "We cannot say (if two more Congress MLAs would switch over to TRS)... Otherwise, they will remain like that (without merger)... We (TRS) are not making any efforts for it."