TRS main competitor for TDP in AP bypoll: Goud

Hyderabad, Apr 19 (UNI) Opposition Telugu Desam Party (TDP) senior leader and former Minister T Devender Goud today said the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) was the main competitor to the TDP in the bypolls, scheduled to be held on May 29 in 18 Assembly and four Lok Sabha seats.

Addressing the media here, he said the fight between the TDP and TRS was inevitable in majority of the seats in the byelections. In some places, the ruling Congress and the TDP would fight for the seat.

Out of 18 seats, 16 seats fell vacant after the TRS MLAs and MPs resigned in March to protest against the Congress' attitude on Telangana. The other two fell vacant following the death of TDP MLA T Jayaprakash, representing Terlam constituency in Vizianagaram, and senior Congress leader P Janardhan Reddy from Khairatabad Assembly segment.

Coming down heavily on TRS president and former Union Minister K Chandrasekhara Rao for making statements that the Congress and TDP were conspiring to defeat the TRS by forging 'unofficial' alliance, Mr Goud said ''there is no question of alliance with either the Congress or TRS. Both parties cheated the Telangana people in 2004 elections by forging alliance and promising the formation of Telangana.'' Alleging that the TRS and Congress were playing 'drama' on the Telangana issue since 2004, the TDP leader said the party would seek the help of Left parties to win majority seats in the byelections. ''Discussions on the alliance with the Left parties are still underway,'' he said.

Referring to the Government's proposal regarding the supply of drinking water to the capital city from Ellampalli irrigation project, Mr Goud alleged that the Government had taken the decision to stop the proposed Chevella-Pranahita irrigation project which would provide drinking and irrigation water to most of the backward Telangana region.

Demanding that the Government take up the third phase of Krishna water project to provide water to the capital city and convene an all-party meeting on its proposal, he said the TDP would organise an all-party meeting on April 22, if the Government failed to do so, and decide on the future course of action.

Besides, the all-party meeting would also discuss the 'Babli' issue, where the Maharashtra Government was constructing projects on river Godavari without getting permission.

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