Hyderabad, May 12: TRS chief K Chandrasekhar Rao today offered not to contest the ensuing byelections to seats vacated by his MLAs if Delhi announced formation of a separate Telangana state.
“We will also give up the two Lok Sabha seats and ensure that the Congress wins all the 10 Assembly and two LS seats,’’ Rao said in his inaugural address at a meeting of party functionaries.
He was responding to a suggestion made by Karimnagar Congress MP Ponnam Prabhakar that the party leadership would consider granting a Telangana state if TRS did not contest the byelections. “Let them accept my challenge if Ponnam is sincere in making the proposal,’’ he said.
The TRS chief said there was no question of the party giving up its agitation for a separate state and he would not hesitate to go on a fastunto- death once again if the situation so demanded.
PREFERRED TRIM: Emphasising the need to strengthen the party at different levels by taking up a membership drive, Rao sounded a warning that nonperformers would be punished.
“Please don’ t waste your time running around the part y of f i c e in Hyderabad. Instead, use your time to visit your constituencies and be among the people,’’ he told them.
Rao announced that he would visit all the districts in Telangana from May 20 to 30 to provide a fresh impetus to the movement and channelise the various forces working for achieving the goal of a separate state.
This included students, who have been in the forefront of the stir.
–Agencies