Hyderabad, June 20:The mercurial TRS leader, Mr Kalwakuntla Chandrasekhar Rao, has withdrawn his resignation “respecting the sentiments of the General Body” meeting of the party which ended on Saturday afternoon amid high drama.
Soon after the news that he had offered his resignation, hundreds of supporters descended on Hyderabad and sat in indefinite fast at the Telangana Bhavan, asking him not to do so. Another party leader and MP, Ms Vijaya Santi said that she would quit all her posts including the chairman of the Political Affairs Committee, if KCR quit the party leadership.
Supporters of KCR have attacked a dissident, tore his shift and injured him. They blocked the vehicle of KCR and raised slogans that he should not quit.
Even as the dissidents led by Dr A Chandrasekhar were stating that this was high drama and KCR would not quit the post, the general body of the party met under the leadership of senior leader Capt. Lakshmikanta Rao and rejected the resignation.
It had urged him to continue to lead the party.
Later KCR said he was respecting the decision of the General Body and withdrawing his resignation. He said that he would consult the party ideologue, Dr Jaya Shankar and other intellectuals on the future course of action.
Meanwhile. Mr Chandrasekhar dismissed the general body meeting as another drama staged by KCR. He said the dissidents would continue their fight for change in the leadership. It would be good if the leadership was handed over to some one like Mr Nayani Narasimha Reddy, who was a sincere protagonist of the Telangana cause.
When asked if they had quit the TRS or were in the party, he said that they were very much in the TRS. Simply because they suspended us, it would not mean that we would pack our luggage and leave. No one has the authority to ask us to leave, he asserted.
Meanwhile, the General Body has resolved to scrap the State committee of the party. (NSS)