TRS’ Rao quits Lok Sabha for Telengana
In a move designed to demonstrate his commitment to the Telengana cause, TRS chief K Chandrasekhar Rao on Tuesday announced his resignation from the Lok Sabha and vowed to intensify the movement for a separate state.
By TNN |
NEW DELHI: In a move designed to demonstrate his commitment to the Telengana cause, TRS chief K Chandrasekhar Rao on Tuesday announced his resignation from the Lok Sabha and vowed to intensify the movement for a separate state.
Mr Rao’s resignation came in response to the state Congress leaders’ public challenge to him to quit the Lok Sabha seat and face the people after his recent resignation from the UPA Cabinet.
Soon after his resignation, Mr Rao counter-challenged his rivals by asking the Congress MPs of the region to quit their Lok Sabha seats and seek a fresh mandate. However, it was not yet clear whether the four remaining Lok Sabha members of the TRS will also follow Mr Rao by quitting their seats. Mr Rao said he would soon send his resignation letter to the Lok Sabha Speaker.
Referring to PCC chief TK Kesava Rao and senior minister M Satyanarayana Rao who asked him to quit his Parliament seat, Mr Rao said: “I am accepting their challenge and resigning from the Lok Sabha. If they have the guts, let them reciprocate. Let all of us go to people and fight elections on the sole issue of Telangana statehood,” Mr Rao said.
He said all his party MPs and MLAs were ready to quit their posts and dared Congress leaders to come forward to seek a fresh mandate. “The next elections will be held on the Telangana issue alone. The people will decide who is committed to their welfare,” the TRS chief said.
Claiming that the Congress was a ‘dead party’ before ’04 and the Telangana movement had given it much-needed oxygen in the elections, Mr Rao challenged Congress leaders to seek a fresh mandate on the statehood issue.
Meanwhile, Andhra Pradesh CM YS Rajasekhara Reddy made light of Mr Rao’s resignation move and brushed aside questions over the possible impact of the development on the ruling party. “Is that so? Let us see,” quipped Mr Reddy when reporters rushed to seek his reaction to the development.
The APCC president Kesava Rao, who had earlier challenged the TRS chief, sought to downplay the development and said it would not have any impact on the ruling party. Mr Rao is also expected to soon send a formal letter to the Lok Sabha speaker about the TRS formally withdrawing support to the UPA.
Mr Rao’s resignation came in response to the state Congress leaders’ public challenge to him to quit the Lok Sabha seat and face the people after his recent resignation from the UPA Cabinet.
Soon after his resignation, Mr Rao counter-challenged his rivals by asking the Congress MPs of the region to quit their Lok Sabha seats and seek a fresh mandate. However, it was not yet clear whether the four remaining Lok Sabha members of the TRS will also follow Mr Rao by quitting their seats. Mr Rao said he would soon send his resignation letter to the Lok Sabha Speaker.
Referring to PCC chief TK Kesava Rao and senior minister M Satyanarayana Rao who asked him to quit his Parliament seat, Mr Rao said: “I am accepting their challenge and resigning from the Lok Sabha. If they have the guts, let them reciprocate. Let all of us go to people and fight elections on the sole issue of Telangana statehood,” Mr Rao said.
He said all his party MPs and MLAs were ready to quit their posts and dared Congress leaders to come forward to seek a fresh mandate. “The next elections will be held on the Telangana issue alone. The people will decide who is committed to their welfare,” the TRS chief said.
Claiming that the Congress was a ‘dead party’ before ’04 and the Telangana movement had given it much-needed oxygen in the elections, Mr Rao challenged Congress leaders to seek a fresh mandate on the statehood issue.
Meanwhile, Andhra Pradesh CM YS Rajasekhara Reddy made light of Mr Rao’s resignation move and brushed aside questions over the possible impact of the development on the ruling party. “Is that so? Let us see,” quipped Mr Reddy when reporters rushed to seek his reaction to the development.
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The APCC president Kesava Rao, who had earlier challenged the TRS chief, sought to downplay the development and said it would not have any impact on the ruling party. Mr Rao is also expected to soon send a formal letter to the Lok Sabha speaker about the TRS formally withdrawing support to the UPA.
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