UPA may offer face saver to TRS on Telangana

New Delhi, Aug 22: In an effort to retain the Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) leaders within its fold, the ruling coalition today discussed the ways of giving a 'face saver' to the TRS.

While TRS Chief and Union Labour Minister K Chandrashekhara Rao and Minister of State for Rural Development A Narendra did not offer any comments after the meeting, parties like Rashtriya Janata Dal and Republican Party of India, who are sympathetic to the TRS cause, have advised Mr Rao and his colleagues not to take hasty decisions and hurt their real cause.

Mr Rao on his part has stated that the TRS would walk out of the UPA if there is no firm assurance from the UPA on the creation of Telangana state and today happens to be the 'deadline' for implementing his threat.

Mr Rao wants a concrete assurance from the UPA to enable his continuance. The TRS has five MPs, including the two ministers, and 26 MLAs in Andhra Pradesh. The TRS MLAs have walked out of the Congress-led coalition in the state.

There will be a meeting of TRS and Left Parties later today where an effort would be made to bring closer the two parties which have extreme view points on the issue of state formation. The Left parties, particularly the CPI-M, have expressed themselves against the creation of a Telangana state before the UPA Sub-Committee headed by Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee.

After the meeting, Railway Minister and RJD Supremo Lalu Prasad said the parties had advised Mr Rao against taking any hurried decision. ''We will work out something,'' Mr Yadav told reporters after the meeting.

The Congress on its part has dismissed the TRS demand to bring a legislation on Telangana with the help of BJP as the UPA did not have any truck with that party. ''The TRS should concentrate on development and governance of the entire country and not just Telangana,'' party leaders said.

The Congress has given assurance on Telangana and this political decision was a time-consuming process.

UNI