Congress MPs G. Vivek, M. Jagannath and senior party leader K. Keshav Rao, who had quit the ruling party over Telangana issue, formally joined Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) on Monday in the presence of its president K Chandrasekhar Rao at a public meeting here Monday evening.
A few former ministers and leaders from Congress, TDP and other parties also joined TRS on the occasion.
Slamming Congress for not keeping its promise to grant Telangana statehood, Chandrasekhar Rao said the separate state can be achieved by ‘dictating terms to Delhi’, instead of pleading for it if TRS wins a substantial number of seats in the next elections.
Chandrasekhar Rao hit out at Ghulam Nabi Azad, in-charge of Congress affairs in Andhra Pradesh, for his reported comments that these leaders quit the party for personal gain.
Keshav Rao had already clarified that he would not like to contest any election, the TRS president said. He, however, noted Keshav Rao should be a Parliament member to give voice to Telangana.
“This joining of Congress leaders is not a cheap political action. They have done everything possible to secure Telangana. But, they quit Congress after having failed in their efforts,” he said. Referring to a case filed against him in a Khammam court for his comments on the Prime Minister, he claimed the Prime Minister did not show any concern for the Telangana demand.
The TRS president said Telangana people need not vote for parties such as Congress, TDP and YSR Congress which were ‘dominated by Andhra (non-Telangana) leaders’. He reiterated his promise to make a Dalit person the first Chief Minister of Telangana. He also appealed to the people to make ‘lay siege to the assembly’ programme of June 14 a grand success.
Keshav Rao, who has served as a member of Congress Working Committee, and headed Congress unit of Andhra Pradesh, said on this occasion that Congress leaders, who were mounting pressure on party leadership to get separate Telangana, need not wait any longer. They can join the ‘movement for Telangana’, he said.