Narendra starts new party, names it TRS (N)

Hyderabad, May 17 (UNI) Former Union Minister of State A Narendra, who was suspended from the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) by party chief and former Union Minister K Chandrasekhara Rao for his alleged involvement in the human trafficking scam, today announced formation of a new party and named it TRS (N).

At a meeting of his followers here, Narendra was unanimously elected President of the new splinter group of the TRS.

Apart from former TRS General Secretary Kokkula Dayanand, Telangana Jagarana Sena chief Commander Ramakant (a former associate of Mr Narendra in the RSS) and Bhaskara Reddy of Karimnagar, who worked as the Commander, there was no notable presence of any top leader from the party. Though there were nine dissident MLAs in the TRS, none of them attended the meeting.

Two of the dissident MLAs -- S Bapu Rao and K Lingaiah -- were presently in judicial custody in connection with the human trafficking case.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr Dayanand said the TRS and the movement for the formation of Telangana State gained momentum only after Mr Narendra joined ranks with Mr Rao. Mr Narendra's party was the real TRS and it would soon occupy Telangana Bhavan, the headquarters of TRS in Jubilee Hills.

It was not yet known if there was any MLA or ZPTC or MPTC member who would support the new splinter group. Mr Narendra's group was, however, confident that there would be an exodus from the Rao group.

Mr Dayanand said that though Mr Narendra had advised Mr Rao not to trust the Congress as it would never give Statehood to Telangana, he had not paid heed. Telangana would be a reality only under the leadership of Mr Narendra and there would soon be an intensive campaign for the formation of Telangana State, he added.

UNI