Congress in damage control mode in AP

Hyderabad, Sep 13 (UNI) The ruling Congress today tried its best to mollify estranged UPA ally Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS), caught in a 'political trap' laid by TRS Chief K Chandrasekara Rao who quit Lok Sabha and forced two state ministers M Satyanarayana Rao and Mohd Ali Shabbir to put in their papers.

Speaking on the resignation letters submitted by his cabinet colleagues, Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy maintained that it was irrelavant as the TRS was a part of the Congress-led UPA.

Meanwhile, the Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) President K Keshava Rao expressed regrets over his remarks against the TRS supremo and said he withdrew them.

Saying that the Telangana issue was sentimental in nature, Dr Reddy said that since it was left to the Congress President Sonia Gandhi to decide on the issue, there was no need, for the Congress and TRS leaders, to inititate a war of words.

Making it clear that there was no room for making personal remarks, the Chief Minister pointed out that it was only the party high command which decided on a candidate for any MP or MLA seat.

Mr Satyanarayana Rao and Mr Shabbir, who had accepted a challenge from the TRS Supremo to quit and face elections, opined that it was for the party leadership to decide on their resignations.

Senior Telugu Desam Party (TDP) leader Ch Rajeswara Rao said while the TRS and Congress leaders were free to exchange challenges and go to the people -- the bypoll -- on no account it could be considered a refrendum on the statehood issue. ''The TDP would certainly field its candidate in the event of any bypoll.'' Quitting the UPA government along with his deputy A Narendra, the TRS founder president threw a challenge at the Congress, which had aligned with the party for the last Lok Sabha and the Assembly polls.

Picking up the gauntlet, Mr Satyanarayana Rao and Mr Shabbir threw a counter-challenge and the PCC chief backed them saying he would ensure that the Election Commission holds a bypoll within a month.

Catching the Congress unawares, Mr Rao announced his resignation from the Karimnagar Lok Sabha seat and forced the former to indulge in a damage control exercise following instructions reportedly from the high command.

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