TRS president K. Chandrasekhar Rao has reiterated that they would continue agitations for a separate Telangana State and simultaneously contest elections as part of their strategy to exert pressure on the government to carve out Telangana.
Condemning the statements made by CPI State secretary K. Narayana that the TRS was using the sentiment for elections only, he said that “the vote has an important value in the democracy. I have been talking about the elections since the formation of the party in 2001.”
Mr. Rao was in Karimnagar town on Monday to attend the wedding reception of TRSV leader B. Suman. Talking to newsmen here on Monday, he said that if the TRS with two MPs could stall Parliament demanding the formation of a separate Telangana State, ten the people only had to imagine the situation if the party wins 17 MP seats in the region. “In this world of coalition government regime, if the TRS wins 17 MP seats, it could bargain and get Telangana with ease,” he reiterated.
If the UPA fails to give Telangana State, the NDA was ready to give Telangana, he said and added that the NDA parties had extended moral support to TRS during their protests in Parliament for the cause of a separate Telangana State. He said that the TRS was ready for a merger with the Congress party if a separate State was carved and added that he would not seek any power except for Telangana State for the self-esteem of the people of the region, who have been exploited on all fronts in an united AP.
Alleging that the Telangana region was neglected on all fronts in spite of its natural resources being snatched away, he said that the tax collections for the year 2011-12 was Rs.39,970 crore from Telangana region and only Rs.13,178 crore from Seemandhra. But, the spending was 70 per cent for Seemandhra and only 30 per cent in Telangana, he charged.
Demanding the formation of a separate Telangana State with Hyderabad as its capital, he said that they would participate in the Kurnool road blockade programme on February 24. Appealing to the people of the region to elect TRS supported candidates in the council elections from Karimnagar graduates and teachers’ constituency and also Nalgonda teachers’ constituency, he said that the election of TRS candidates would teach a lesson to the leaders opposing the separate Telangana State.
