TRS chief K. Chandrasekhar Rao opts for Gajwel

Hyderabad: TRS president K. Chandrasekhar Rao on Sunday strongly defended his family members taking an active role in the Telangana movement and hit back at his critics for describing the TRS as a family party.

In a brief interaction with the media at Telangana Bhavan, Mr Rao said, “A vicious campaign is going on against the TRS, calling it family rule and that it would usher in dorala rajyam (rule of landlords). It is absurd. Why was there no hue and cry when all my family members participated in the Telangana movement and were jailed?”

“What is this talk on dorala rajyam? Are Reddy Rajyam, Kamma Rajyam, Rajula Rajyam okay for my critics?” he asked.

Mr Rao said family members of political leaders associating with party activities is nothing new.

“There is nothing wrong in this. I take objection to my party alone being painted as encouraging family members,” he said.

The TRS chief also announced that he would contest from the Gajwel Assembly segment in Medak district. “Whether I will contest the Lok Sabha elections too will be told to you soon,” he said.

The TRS chief appealed to people not to vote for Narendra Modi

Replying to a specific question on a tie up with the Congress, Mr Rao said, “It is all over, there will be no tie up with the Congress. Our candidates will take on each and every Congress candidate to defeat them. The Congress ruled Telangana for 41 years, that is enough. He said he is not enamoured by posts and said, “Mr Naidu ruled for nine years and still he wants to be Chief Minister.”

The TRS leader also released a letter that he had written to Governor E.S.L. Narasimhan requesting him to order a probe on all the controversial decisions that Mr Kiran Kumar Reddy had taken before stepping down as ChiefMinister.