M A I N   N E W S

Will wait till Bill is introduced in House: Rao
Suresh Dharur
Tribune News Service

TRS president K Chandrasekhar Rao reacts to the decision on a separate Telangana state on Tuesday. PTI

Hyderabad, July 30
For someone who has spearheaded the movement for separate Telangana state for over 12 years, the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) founder-president K Chandrasekhar Rao was surprisingly subdued and cautious over the announcement on carving out a new state. “We will wait till a bill on Telangana is introduced in Parliament,” Rao said when asked for his reaction to the UPA’s decision on bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh.

The TRS supremo’s cautious approach came as a surprise as he himself had declared on several occasions in the past that he was prepared to merge his party with the Congress if it granted statehood for Telangana. The UPA leadership had kept him out of the consultation process leading to the decision on dividing the state.

Rao appeared dissatisfied with Hyderabad being made the common capital. “What is this common capital? It needs to be clarified,” he said. The TRS chief evaded questions on his party’s merger with the Congress.

It was Rao’s indefinite fast for the statehood cause in November, 2009 that had prompted the UPA government to first announce commencement of the process for formation of Telangana state. However, the Congress had backtracked following a violent backlash from the Rayalaseema and coastal Andhra region.

Meanwhile, as many as 15 ministers from the Seemandhra region threatened to quit their posts to protest against bifurcation of the state. “We have already sent a letter to our party president in this regard,” minister G Srinivasa Rao said.

The Telangana region erupted into celebrations soon after the announcement on creation of separate state. While students of Osmania University celebrated by bursting crackers, the Telangana Bhavan, the headquarters of the TRS, wore a festive look with party workers chanting “Jai Telangana” slogans and distributing sweets.