You must strive for additional funds, he tells them

Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao was said to have told the Telangana Rashtra Samithi MPs that the party would forge issue-based relationship with the BJP at the national level.

“We neither have friendship nor enmity with any party. We must observe restraint in dealing with the Centre,” sources quoted Mr. Rao as telling the Parliamentary Party meeting of the TRS here on Thursday. Rajya Sabha Member of TRS K. Keshava Rao was retained as Parliamentary Party leader on the occasion. Mr Rao addressed a letter to this effect to Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi after the meeting.

Mr. Rao cautioned the TRS MPs of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha against the danger of the BJP dismissing other parties in Parliament as lightweights at the back of the saffron party winning the recent elections with absolute majority. It was likely that the BJP would release more funds to States ruled by it. Therefore, the TRS should also be unrelenting in its demand with the Centre for equal share in funds.

Sources said Mr. Rao regretted the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre denying funds that ought to have been released to Telangana in the last five years. But Telangana must get its due in this five-year term at any cost. It was not enough if the State got what was due to it. “You must strive for additional funds”.

Mr. Rao said Telangana would have cordial relations with neighbouring States. On need basis, Telangana would also take the support of neighbours.

He asked the MPs to put up good performance in proceedings of both Houses of Parliament. They must attend Parliament regularly and raise issues solely in the interest of the State.

Apart from being Parliamentary Party leader, Mr. Rao appointed Mr. Keshava Rao as TRS leader in the Rajya Sabha and Khammam MP Nama Nageshwar Rao as party leader in the Lok Sabha. Mr. Banda Prakash and Mr. Kotha Prabhakar Reddy would be deputy leaders and Mr. J. Santosh Kumar and Mr. B.B. Patil whips in Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha respectively.

The selection of TRS leader in the Lok Sabha was necessitated as both the leader and deputy leader in the previous Parliament were not available for the party this time. Mr. Nageshwar Rao became the automatic choice because he was the Parliamentary Party leader of Telugu Desam in the past.