TRS shuts doors on tie-up with Congress

Both the parties have more or less finalised candidates in major constituencies

Though the talk of alliance between Congress and the TRS has gained currency in the last couple of days, senior TRS leaders on Friday ruled out any such move insisting both parties had reached a “point of no return.”

The Congress and TRS have finalised candidates in important constituencies and initiating negotiations at these places in the eleventh hour is next to impossible. “The municipal polls will take place on March 30 and, the next day is Ugadi. The nominations for general elections open on April 2. That leaves April 1 but to imagine that the talks will be held on that day is like making everyone an April fool,” a leader said.

Meanwhile, the selection of candidates by TRS has resulted in heartburn among party activists at the prospect of denial of tickets in several constituencies. The cadre is sore that 15 sitting MLAs and others like Konda Surekha who have joined TRS in recent days will automatically be rewarded with tickets at the cost of its leaders though they were with the party for several years.

The leaders pointed out that the surveys highlighted by TRS president K. Chandrasekhar Rao in support of his claims of victory were, in fact, based on genuineness of candidates. The surveys did not hold water if the tickets were distributed indiscriminately to people who were ranged against the Telangana movement. Ms. Surekha and Tandur MLA P. Mahender Reddy who also joined TRS belonged to this category.

The ticket distribution by TRS was also criticised at the extended general body meeting of Telangana Joint Action Committee here on Friday. The meeting noted that people who had no background of struggles for separate Telangana were given tickets.

A senior TRS leader, however, expressed the hope that rewarding newcomers with tickets was a double edged weapon to weaken the other parties and strengthen TRS. By and large, it will yield good results but resistance was inevitable at a few places like Kalwakurthy and Dubbaka if the local aspirants consolidated their base. The aspirants might work for the defeat of official candidates. Another leader said discontent was brewing in 30 to 40 Assembly constituencies.

Sources said the TRS was yet to identify candidates for Secunderabad and Malkajgiri parliamentary constituencies and seven Assembly segments.