UPA our first choice: KCR

Hyderabad: TRS chief K Chandrasekhar Rao on exuded confidence that he would get about 60 Assembly and considerable number of Lok Sabha seats in the just concluded elections.

Addressing a press conference after the state executive meeting on Friday, KCR said that the TRS had not approached any political party regarding post poll alliance. Lashing out at T Congress chief Ponnala Lakshmaiah for his statement that 20 TRS candidates were about to cross over to Congress, he said the Congress party would get less than 30 seats here and in Seemandhra Y S Jaganmohan Reddy would form the government. He said the TRS would do well even in Ranga Reddy, Mahabubnagar and Nalgonda districts.

Ruling out the possibility of his party supporting NDA post-elections, the TRS president said the UPA would be his "first choice" in extending support. “Suppose if UPA is going to form the government, my first choice will be UPA. If there is no scope for UPA, then we will explore the possibility of support to the Third Front," he said. Observing that separate Telangana has become a reality only because of the "initiative" of UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, he said he would remain grateful to her during his life time.

Rao was highly critical of rivals and a section of media over the Appointed Day row with some criticizing him as a power-monger. He said TRS wanted the Appointed Day to be advanced to ensure that there would be no constitutional vacuum in the State. It would be in the interest of Telangana if a State government was formed soon after results were announced. “Narendra Modi had hinted at making Hyderabad as the second capital and we want to ensure that it would not materialise. For this there should be no constitutional vacuum in the State The Central government is set to assume office anytime after May 16 and hence TRS felt that they too should form the government on the same date,” he said.

Dismissing media reports that the Centre rejected their proposal to advance the Appointed Day, the TRS chief said that it was under consideration of the Law Ministry. A suggestion made by a court cannot be ignored just like that, he felt.

To a query, he said the YSR Congress would secure more than hundred seats to form government in the residuary Andhra Pradesh state. In the interests of Telugu speaking people, he said the TRS would maintain cordial relations with the government in the residuary State. He advised the administration against allocating buildings as office spaces for both governments on the same premises as it could lead to friction between the government staff. The TRS urged the Governor to make an aerial survey and take up relief measures on a war-footing in the rain-affected Telangana districts where paddy was extensively damaged, plunging farmers in distress.