Resignations 'irrelevant' as TRS still in UPA: CM

Hyderabad, Sep 13 (UNI) Making light of the papers put in by his cabinet colleagues M Satyanarayana Rao and Md Ali Shabeer, in the wake of TRS president's announcement to resign his Lok Sabha seat, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy today alleged that that such resignations were not relevant as long as the TRS continued in the UPA.

Talking to reporters here, he asserted the TRS was still part of the Congress-led UPA, Dr Reddy reminded that the TRS leadership had acceded to Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar's appeal to continue in the UPA while calling off fast by the TRS chief.

Acknowledging that he had received the resignation letters from two of his cabinet colleagues, he asked ''how are the resignations relavant. To the best of my knowledge, TRS is part of the UPA'', he added.

Describing the challenge and counter-challenge between TRS and Congress leaders as a 'storm in the tea cup', he said ''the war of words between the two parties was nothing new''.

Since the Telangana issue was sentimental in nature, such exchanges took place, he said and added having left the issue of statehood to Congress president Sonia Gandhi for an appropriate decision at an appropriate time, it would have been better if charges were not traded.

Replying to a question, he pointed out the AICC spokesman had appealed to the TRS to reconsider its decision.

He denied the Congress High Command had spoken to him about the political developments.

Disagreeing with the view of Congress State President K Keshava Rao that the challenge was only at the personal level, the Chief minister said ''it is the Party High Command which decides the candidate for any MP or MLA seat. Only for local bodies, the local units decide in coordination with the state unit,'' he added.

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