Date:18/02/2006 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2006/02/18/stories/2006021809770400.htm

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

TRS MLA rues state of affairs in his party

Staff Reporter

The party rebel heaps praises on Chief Minister and Government policies

HYDERABAD: Telangana Rashtra Samithi member Dugyala Srinivas Rao made the most of the opportunity given to him in the Assembly on Friday to launch a tirade against his party leaders.

Participating in the debate on the Governor's address after 11 of his follow party members were suspended, the dissident MLA regretted the developments in his party and heaped praises on Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy, Congress Government and its policies.

Referring to the way TRS Ministers in the State had renounced their portfolios in response to the party diktat, he lashed out at Union Ministers K. Chandrasekhar Rao and A. Narendra, for "hanging on to power in New Delhi".

He wondered how a party could support a Government at the Centre and yet go against the State Government headed by the same party.

Flays TRS leadership

In his hour-long speech, he regretted the "poor leadership" in the TRS.

He said it was the bad luck of the people of Telangana that they had people who wanted to hang on to power first. His praise of "YSR and Congress Government's policies" drew applause from the Treasury benches.

The CPI Floor Leader Chada Venkata Reddy called for transparency in irrigation projects, revival of discussion on proposals to have Regional Development Boards and a separate development package for Telangana.

CPI(M) member Tammineni Veerabhadram regretted that the speech did not have any reference to the power supply position, suicides by farmers.