Telangana: KCR rejects merger with the Congress

Hyderabad: TRS supremo K. Chandrasekhar Rao has rejected a merger with the Congress party.

At a day-long meeting of the General Body of the party, which spearheaded the fight for separate Telangana state, it was decided to form a committee of senior leaders to to look into the issue of alliances, if any, with any party that seeks that.

Confirming the development, KCR's son K.T. Rama Rao in a text message to the Deccan Chronicle said: "No to merger".

The TRS decision may come as a dampner for Congress, which has been looking at making gains in the 17 Lok Sabha seats and 117 Assembly that will be up for grabs in the coming elections under either a merger or an electoral alliance with that party.

Indicating a hardening of TRS stand, party chief K Chandrashekhar Rao told reporters after the meeting that the general body unanimously decided not to merge with Congress.

The meeting appointed a committee of senior leaders to look into alliances, if any, if any party approaches it.

Rao was critical of the attitude of the Congress and the Centre saying even before the ink on the President's assent to the AP Reorganisation Bill, the UPA government has come out with an ordinance giving a special category status to the residuary state while denying it to the new state of Telangana.

This, he said, was an undemocratic move which would be challenged in the Supreme Court. The TRS cooperated in the passage of the Bill because it did not want to be seen as an obstacle in the creation of the new state.

Asked about his statement last year that TRS would merge with Congress, Rao said he had given such an assurance if Telangana was formed unconditionally. Now it has come with so many conditions, he added.

Rao also opposed making Hyderabad the joint capital saying "Hyderabad is our (Telangana's) proud capital and our hereditary property".