TRS Chief to withdraw candidature on Telengana statehood issue

Karimnagar, Andhra Pradesh, Oct 17 (UNI) Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) Chief and former Union Labour Minister K Chandrasekara Rao today offered to withdraw his candidature in the Karimnagar by-election if the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government made an announcement on statehood for Telangana.

Launching his campaign from Metpalli, a stronghold of the BJP, the TRS Chief, who quit the Manmohan Singh Government and also the Karimnagar Lok Sabha seat, declared ''let the Congress party make an announcement on Telangana. I will campaign for the Congress and ensure the victory of its candidate.'' Starting from Congress supremo Sonia Gandhi to Congress activists, he claimed all Congress men had dorned the TRS shawl and encashed on the Telangana sentiment of the people in the last Lok Sabha and Assembly elections.

The Congress leaders had maintained that the TRS should align with the Congress if it was really sincere in realising statehood for Telangana, he recalled.

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