TRS raises 'stake' for merger with Congress in AP

Hyderabad, Feb 18: Complicating further the matters for

, smarting under the backlash from Seemandhra leaders over passing of

Bill, the

reportedly wants more share of seats in the Lok Sabha and Assembly elections in

as its pre-condition for merger with the party.

According to sources here on Tuesday, the TRS wants at least half of the 17 Lok Sabha seats and one-third of Assembly seats in the region in the coming elections. Though this is said to have put Congress in a tight spot, the political scene doesn't look rosy for the TRS either.

For the ruling Congress, which has 12 sitting MPs and 46 MLAs, granting the TRS' wish will be a politically-challenging task at a time when it is hoping to reap maximum dividends from the creation of Telangana state. At least in the case of Lok Sabha seats, it will only be detrimental for the Congress to deny tickets to its sitting MPs only to please the TRS. Congress leaders here fear that it could trigger dissidence on a large-scale within the party if the TRS' demand was conceded.

The TRS wants at least half of the 17 LS seats and 1/3rd of the assembly seats

"If not, the TRS will not like to merge and that will be a no-win situation for us. We now need TRS more than they need us," a senior minister from Telangana, currently camping in New Delhi, said over phone after the Lok Sabha cleared the Bill today. "Whether we can take full credit for securing Telangana state is a big question as obviously the TRS will go to town with its own claims. So, a merger is a political compulsion for us to make things even. But whether we can concede much ground to TRS in the deal is indeed a dilemma," he remarked.

PTI