TRS Executive rejects party chief's resignation

Hyderabad, Jun 4 (UNI) The executive meeting of the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) today outrightly rejected the resignation of Mr K Chandrasekhara Rao, who 'quit' as the party president in the wake of the party's debacle in the just-concluded byelections.

Mr Rao, who submitted his resignation yesterday to party General Secretary T Madhusudhanchary, did not attend the meeting despite his earlier assurances.

The executive meeting, presided over by senior party leader and former minister Laxmikanta Rao, MLA, adopted a unanimous resolution, urging Mr Rao to withdraw his resignation.

The resolution was introduced by TRS MLA K Eshwar in the meeting, which was attended by senior party leaders, including N Narasimha Reddy, K Vijayarama Rao and K Harish Rao.

Earlier, speaking at the meeting, TRS ideologue Professor K Jayashankar said ''there is no alternative to Mr Rao to lead the Telangana movement. He should withdraw his resignation. Separate Telangana would be formed only under Mr Rao's leadership.'' Calling on the party cadre to re-dedicate themselves for the cause of Telangana, Mr Jayashankar said, ''we have learnt lessons from the just-concluded by-elections in which the TRS won only seven Assembly seats out of 17 it contested and two Lok Sabha seats out of four.

UNI AP VA RL AS1904