TRS to embrace parties 'sympathetic to separate Telangana

Hyderabad, Jul 30 (UNI) In an ''attempt to isolate'' the Congress on the Telangana issue, Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) leader K Rama Rao today said the TRS would maintain cordial relationship with all parties, which were ''sympathetic'' towards the issue, as the ruling Congress was ''not inclined to fulfil the aspirations'' of the people of Telangana.

Talking to UNI here today again the backdrop of TRS President K Chandrasekar Rao holding talks with BJP President Rajnath Singh and Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha L K Advani in New Delhi recently, Mr Rama Rao, son of the TRS chief, alleged that ''the Congress has betrayed us on the issue.'' On the deliberations that the TRS chief had with the BJP leaders, he said, ''We want to maintain friendly relations with all parties, including the BJP, which were supporting the formation of Telangana state.'' ''Apart from the BJP, which has come out openly in support of statehood for Telangana, we are also in touch with Bahujan Samaj Party supremo Mayawati, Rashtriya Lok Dal chief Ajit Singh and the leaders of some UPA constituents, including Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar and Rashtriya Janata Dal supremo Lalu Prasad who are in support of a separate Telangana state.'' Ahead of the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) core committee meeting on Telangana in Mahboobnagar, he said, ''We are closely watching the fluid political situation in the state.'' ''If the TDP takes a favourable decision on the issue, we will work with it in spearheading stirs against the anti-people policies of the Congress Government,'' he said.

''No discussion has taken place within the party on poll alliances as still there is a lot of time for the next Lok Sabha and Assembly elections. We will finalise our electoral understanding only on the eve of the elections,'' he added.

Meanwhile, party sources said the TRS was of the view that a ''grand alliance'' among the TDP, Left parties, BSP and the TRS was necessary to ''defeat'' the Congress in Andhra Pradesh, which had sent maximum number of MPs to the Lok Sabha in the last elections, enabling the Congress to stake claim to form the Government headed by Dr Manmohan Singh.

The sub-regional party wanted to maintain good relations with the BJP, which is leading the National Democratic Alliance, and with the Left parties and constituents of the UNPA to realise its goal sooner or later, the sources added.

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