TRS to go it alone, prefers third front in Delhi

HYDERABAD: A day after the TRS said it won't merge with the Congress and prefer newer alliances, sources indicated the mood in the party is to go it alone in the Telangana region and back Third Front at the Centre.

According to TRS sources, any truck with the Congress is a closed chapter now. "People want TRS to retain its identity. And going by their overwhelming support, we're against any alliance including with the Congress," said Sircilla MLA K Taraka Rama Rao.

The TRS decision to contest in Telangana on its own is guided by its reading that it's on a strong wicket and can do without allies. "We expect to win at least 75 of the 119 assembly seats and 12 of the 17 Lok Sabha seats in the new state. We'll form government. At the Centre, poll surveys indicate Third Front will have an edge. We'll have no hesitation in backing it," KTR said.

As of now, 11 political parties are cobbling together the Third Front, comprising four Left parties, SP, AIADMK, JD(S), JD(U), BJD, AGP and JMM. Aiming for 12 Lok Sabha seats, TRS says it can play a decisive role at the Centre if chances of government formation by a non-Congress, non-BJP alliance firm up.

Asked if TRS has no objection against a front in which parties like the CPM, which was fiercely anti-Telangana, is a member, sources said the equation now has changed.

"Telangana and residuary Andhra Pradesh are a reality now. We expect parties opposed to Telangana to give up their opposition," a TRS leader said.

TRS chief K Chandrasekhar Rao wrote to President Pranab Mukherjee protesting against the ordinance by the UPA government that granted special category status to residuary Andhra Pradesh and transferred seven mandals of Khammam district to Seemandhra through amendments to the AP State Reorganisation Act.

"The proposed ordinance seeking to alter the boundaries of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, as contained in the AP Reorganisation Act, was not referred to the state legislatures, for their views, as mandated by Article 3 of the Constitution," KCR wrote.