TRS turns the heat on the UPA on Telangana promise

New Delhi, Aug 19 (UNI) Driven to the wall by the UPA ''stonewalling'' on the creation of a separate state of Telangana, the TRS, a partner in ruling UPA coalition today threatened the coalition by stating that its decision to continue in the alliance would depend upon the response it got from the Congress.

The top TDP leaders who met at the residence of Union Labour Minister and TRS Chief K Chandrashekhara Rao discussed the ways of building up pressure on the Congress party, which not only took part in the last Parliament elections promising to create Telangana State but also included the promise in the Common Minimum Programme of the UPA. About 13 of the 26 MLAs and five MPs including Union Minister of State for Rural Development A Narendra attended the meeting at Mr Rao's residence.

''There is already a consensus on Telangana and we only want a clear assurance from the Congress, if we have to continue in the government and the coalition'', Mr Narendra told newspersons after the meeting.

''It is not necesssary that we withdraw ourselves from the Cabinet we may think of jettisoning the UPA'', he added. Mr Rao is to call on Mr Ahmed Patel, the Political Secretary to Congress President later today.

He said there was no deadline set by the TRS for an assurance but it expected the Congress to react to the TRS demand in the next couple of days or atleast before the end of the Monsoon Session of Parliament on August 24, he said.

The minister also said that if there was no assurance from the UPA, the TRS might be forced to introduce a Private Members Bill in Lok Sabha. The move will not only show the bickerings within the UPA but also embarass the ruling coalition, TRS sources said.

Another suggestion that was considered by the TRS was to boycott the Prime Minister's customary dinner to the ruling coalition MPs to express their displeasure at the delay in implementing the pre-election promise.

The 26 MLA-strong TRS have walked out of Andhra Pradesh coalition government over a year ago. There is no immediate threat to the UPA government even if the five MPs walk out of the UPA but their demand the support of parties like Nationalist Congress Party of Sharad Pawar and Rashtriya Janata Dal of Lalu Prasad.

UNI MCN VD GC1805