Date:10/05/2004 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2004/05/10/stories/2004051005210600.htm

Andhra Pradesh

TRS chief to cobble up support for Congress

By Our Staff Reporter

HYDERABAD, MAY 9. The Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) president, K. Chandrasekhar Rao, has turned his attention to national politics to cobble up support of small parties to help the Congress win the number game and form the Government when the Lok Sabha is constituted.

He told presspersons here today that he would be in Delhi on May 14 evening, a day after the counting of votes for the Lok Sabha polls to play an `active role' in the formation of the Congress Government at the Centre. The Congress coming to power was important for the TRS to get a resolution on the Statehood for Telangana adopted by Parliament. Formation of a new State was the `territorial jurisdiction' of the Union Government as per Constitutional provisions. A full 15-member Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court had approved the bifurcation of Gujarat from Maharashtra through a resolution of Parliament. It had disapproved of a resolution in this regard in the Maharashtra Assembly. "So, whoever demands a resolution in the State Assembly for the formation of a new State will be doing so at the risk of inviting the contempt of the Supreme Court," he said.