TRS keeps options open on ties for panchayat polls

Hyderabad, Apr 3 (UNI) The Telangana Rashtra Samiti, which sharesd power with the Congress at the Centre, but has parted ways with the ruling party in Andhra Pradesh on the eve of the Municipal polls, is keeping ''its options open'' on the party's strategy for the coming Panchayat polls, its Chief and Union Labour Minister K Chandrasekara Rao said today.

Mr Rao, who inspected the new party office here, which was nearing completion, told UNI that ''the party is yet to take any decision on ties for the polls.'' Asked about reports that the party had closed the options of forging ties with the BJP, and warming up for renewing ties with the Pradesh Congress, he maintained that no no decision had been taken on the issue.

Meanwhile, party sources said Union Agriculture Minister and Nationalist Congress Party Chief Sharad Pawar as also Bahujan Samaj Party Supremo Mayawati, ardent supporters of the demand for statehood for Telangana, were likely to attend the party meet at the office on April 27.

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