The cat and mouse game between the Congress and the TRS is over. The TRS leadership, already in touch with the BJP, on Saturday ruled out an alliance with the Congress. In fact, it declared an all-out war against the party for trying to poach its MLAs.
Announcing the decision, TRS chief K Chandrasekhar Rao said his party will go it alone in the elections. Speaking after inducting former MLA of the Congress N Diwakar Rao into the party fold, KCR questioned, “Are the statements and actions of Congress leaders such as Digvijay Singh conducive for an alliance. On the one hand, they want alliance with us.. on the other, they lure our MLAs to their side. What sort of politics is this.” In the same breath, he made it clear that the TRS was ready for an alliance with the MIM and the CPI.
At his combative best, he threw the gauntlet at the Congress, saying, “Now let’s see whether TRS MLAs will go to the Congress or Congress MLAs will join the TRS.” He said that the party’s first list of candidates for the general elections will be announced in a day or two.
He dwelt at some length on the reasons for steering clear of the Congress. “I decided not to merge the party with the Congress as the people want the TRS to play a key role in the reconstruction of the new state,” he explained.
Admitting that he had earlier promised to merge the TRS with the Congress if the Telangana state was given, he said he had done so only to prevent suicides in Telangana and wondered how could the Congress leaders like Jairam Ramesh, Digivijay Singh and Ponnala Lakshmaiah term it an act of betrayal.“After my statement, I was invited to Delhi. I met Vayalar Ravi several times. When there was no decision, I returned, bidding ‘Ram Ram’ to the Congress. Now, at the eleventh hour, the Telangana state has been given. That too, only after several youngsters laid down their lives. But, none of the demands of Telangana people have been properly addressed,” he said.
Stating that the TRS had demanded jobs, irrigation water and funds for development, KCR said, “These issues remained unresolved. Now they say division of employees will be on the basis of population.
In the Secretariat, Telangana share is less than 10 per cent and that too, with employees in positions like lift boys and peons. No higher post for Telanganites. Is it not injustice? Should Telangana Secretariat have 80 percent Andhra employees? When the same was questioned, there is no answer from either the PM or other leaders,” he said.
Recollecting that Y S Rajasekhara Reddy during his tenure as CM had tried to weaken the TRS, Rao said, “We have faced insults and betrayals for the cause of Telangana.” Without sparing Ponnala, he reminded his audience that the TPCC chief was the “real betrayer of Telangana. He was the one who had given away waters of Telangana to Andhra as major irrigation minister and allowed illegal irrigation projects in Seemandhra.”