Hyderabad, November 06: The Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) has, as expected, announced that it will not contest the elections to the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC).
Addressing a news conference here today, party chief K Chandrasekhara Rao said that as these elections were not important, the party decided to keep away from the elections.
“The GHMC elections do not merit the party’s attention. Fightig them is nothing but indulging in cheap politics,’’ Rao said.
Instead, his party was making an elaborate plan for the indefinite fast to be launched by him in the last week of this month at Siddipet, he said. He had already asked the people of Telangana region to be prepared either to participate in the victory celebrations following the formation Telangana state or his funeral procession.
As part of intensifying the agitation for separate state, Chandrasekhar Rao said he would submit memornada to all constitutional heads _ President, Governor, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi, Leader of the Opposition LK Advani, and presidents of all political parties.
“Since we have a much larger agenda like attainment of a separate Telangana we have decided not to participate in the GHMC polls which is a minor issue having no great consequence,’’ he pointed out.
The TRS leader said that all Telangana employees’ associations decided to take part in the `pendown strike’ and it was an indication that the movement would pick up momentum as happened in 1969.
Rao said he would meet Governor ND Tiwari and Chief Minister K Rosaiah tomorrow. He would also visit Delhi for two days from November 9 to submit memoranda to President Pratibha Patil, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi and Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha LK Advani. During the two day-visit, Rao would also meet heads of all political parties and many Central ministers.
The TRS leader hoped that both the Central Government and the political system in the country would respect the democratic right of the Telangana people. If they did not react positively, they would be held responsible for the consequences, he warned.
The TRS will organise 15,000 public meetings under the supervision of an 11-member delegation from November 6 to 11 across the region to prepare the people and enlist their support to Chandrasekhar Rao’s proposed “indefinite fast.’ The Telengana Rashtra Samithi Vidyardhi Union (TRSVU) will organise nearly 3,500 gate meetings at all Intermediate, degree and other professional colleges and other educational institutions in the region.
About 25 leaders will conduct Assembly constituency wise party workers meeting for three days from November 7.
According to the Telangana Vidyavantula Vedika (TVV), Telangana freedom fighters, Telangana writers associations and cultural troupes will also take up several mass contact programmes in the region. Sixty-eight bar associations will also take part in the programme.
Chandrasekhar Rao demanded that all the political parties should make their stand clear on the Telangana issue.
He alleged that the main Opposition party, Telugu Desam, had changed its earlier stand on Telangana issue. He asserted that his party was different from other parties and hence decided not to contest the GHMC elections.
–Agencies