TRS is a 100% secular party and it will continue to remain so, Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao said on Thursday, addressing reporters following the dissolution of the state Legislative Assembly. When asked if there were any chances of TRS forging a post-poll alliance with the BJP in wake of his recent trips to Delhi, the Telangana CM shot back saying his relationship with BJP is only a constitutional one and that TRS is a 100% secular party and will continue to remain so.
“The principles of TRS are opposed to the politics of BJP. The Telangana BJP president himself has said in an open statement that it wouldn’t want to align with any party that would associate itself with AIMIM,” he further added.
He also added that Asaduddin Owaisi led AIMIM is a friendly party and the contest among them in the upcoming polls would only be a friendly one.
“When there was a situation of government stabilising in 2014, AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi, who was then in Delhi, called up and offered support to TRS. The relation between the two parties has been cordial and even a contest between the both will be fought on friendly terms,” KCR said while talking to the media persons at Telangana Bhavan.
Talking about TRS offering support to the NDA in the Rajya Sabha elections, KCR told media persons that the move had nothing to do with the BJP and was a gesture in response to Bihar CM’s call for support.
“TRS supported NDA in the elections as the Bihar CM Nitish Kumar personally wrote a letter and also called asking for TRS support. It was no indication of TRS wanting to align with the BJP,” the CM said. KCR also did not rule out the possibility of forming a third front, an alliance of regional parties against the BJP and Congress. He said the idea to keep afloat a third front is still on and it wouldn’t be like a regular front with a merger of just 3-4 parties.
KCR also lashed out at the Congress, the opposition party in the state, and said that they were the 'biggest enemy' of Telangana.
"We took 42 decisions within the first month after assuming power. We are working for the progress of the state and we took decisions in the interest of the state," KCR said, expressing confidence that people would vote them back to power.
Meanwhile, the ruling TRS announced candidates for 105 constituencies and only two sitting candidates were denied tickets.
KCR was confident that fresh elections to the state Assembly will be held in November. "There is no confusion over this," he said, adding that he has already spoken to the Chief Election Commissioner and requested him to hold the polls at the earliest.