"It is high time India traded dynasty for meritocracy. This would require fundamental reforms, from imposing legally mandated term limits to requiring meaningful internal party elections, together with a concerted effort to educate and empower the electorate to choose leaders based on merit," Tharoor said.
With the Left parties' withdrawal of support from the Manmohan Singh led United Progressive Alliance creating a political uncertainty at the Centre, some leaders have started efforts to woo Telangana Rashtra Samiti president K Chandrasekhara Rao, to secure his support for the beleaguered coalition."I told him clearly that we will extend support to the UPA only if the government announces the formation of Telangana state," Rao told reporters in Hyderabad.
If we get a chance to form the next government at the Centre, all backward states will get special category status, Kumar said.
While every party jostles to claim credit for the formation of Telangana and stitch poll alliances, the confused voter laments about the future of India's 29th state.
Concerned over the continuing suicides by the students and youth for the Telangana cause, activists observed Wednesday as 'anti-suicide day' by administering a pledge to the students not to end their lives but to work hard to achieve 'Telangana'.
Ahead of the June 12 by-elections in Andhra Pradesh, Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy today alleged that Kadapa MP Y S Jaganmohan Reddy had "colluded" with Telugu Desam Party and Telangana Rashtra Samiti to "topple" the state government and grab power.
Lok Sabha was adjourned till noon on Monday as Telangana Rashtra Samithi members raised slogans for Telangana statehood, a demand which was endorsed by Leader of the Opposition Sushma Swaraj who asked the government to list the steps taken by it on the issue.
The Telangana Rashtra Samithi on Sunday decided not to attend the meeting called by Home Minister P Chidambaram in New Delhi on Thursday to discuss the Justice Srikrishna Committee report on Telangana, saying there would be divergent views at the meeting as parties will have members from both regions.
The row kicked up by the ministers of Andhra and Rayala Seema region, who called agitators demanding a separate Telangana state 'anti-national and seditious', intensified on Thursday with pro-Telangana leaders urging the state governor to dismiss these ministers from the cabinet. A delegation of Telangana Rashtra Samiti and Telangana Joint Action Committee, headed by K Chandrasekhara Rao and Professor Kodanda Ram, met Governor ESL Narasimhan at Raj Bhavan.
Addressing a mammoth rally of Muslims in Hyderabad, organized byJamat-e-Islami Hind and its affiliated organizations Students Islamic Organization and Movement for Peace and Justice, TRS President K Chandrasekhara Rao said that Muslims constitute 12 to 15% of the population in the region. "They will get a proportional share in every thing including the budget", he said.
After Telangana Rashtra Samiti president K Chandrasekhara Rao's 11-day fast forced the United Progressive Alliance government to concede to his demand for a separate Telangana state, some angry Congress leaders from Andhra Pradesh have threatened to go on a fast-unto-death themselves, to make the Centre reconsider its decision.Congress Member of Parliament from Vijaywada Lagdapati Rajagopal has declared that he will sit on a fast-unto-death in front of the assembly.
The doctors at the Nizam's Institute of Medical Sciences in Hyderabad, who were closely monitoring the ups and downs in the medical condition of 55- year-old Telangana Rashtra Samithi chief K Chandrasekhara Rao as his fast unto death completed nine days on Monday.
Dismissing speculation that his party would be merged with Congress, Telangana Rashtra Samithi President K Chandrasekhara Rao on Friday said the party would retain its independence.
Buoyed up by the sweeping victory in the by elections to 12 assembly seats, Telangana Rashtra Samiti president K Chandrasekhara Rao on Friday appealed to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and the United Progressive Alliance chairperson Sonia Gandhi to take immediate steps for the formation of Telangana state.
The agenda would also include organisational polls and a fresh membership drive, though "national role for Nitish" is likely to dominate the narrative.
Creating a stir in the political circles, the film star-turned-politician and member of Lok Sabha of Telangana Rashtra Samiti, Vijayshanti, on Friday met the Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy.
Even as the executive committee of Telangana Rashtra Samiti is scheduled to meet on Saturday afternoon to discuss the resignation of K Chandrasekhara Rao as party president, the TRS suffered another blow deepening the crisis. as actress-turned-politician and member of Parliament Vijayshanti has also resigned as the secretary general of TRS in an expression of solidarity with the TRS chief.
Speculations were rife that the Centre might announce the formation of a high level official committee to go in to the issues such as the status of Hyderabad, the future capital of the Andhra-Rayala Seema state and sharing of waters of Krishna and Godavari between Telangana and Andhra.
Soon, KCR will realise that he will not be the next chief minister of Telangana, and a dyed in the wool Congressman will take that position. And there will still be room for another Congress CM in the truncated Andhra state.
The appeal was made by Speaker N Kiran Kumar Reddy after TRS members forced the House's adjournment twice in the morning demanding the immediate passing of a resolution in support of Telangana
Telangana Rashtra Samithi chief K Chandrasekhar Rao, on a fast for the last six days demanding a separate Telangana state, was on Saturday shifted to the ICU of a Hyderabad hospital after his condition deteriorated, even as the party called a two-day bandh in the region from Monday.
The Telugu Desam Party-led Grand Alliance in Andhra Pradesh got a major boost on Saturday with the Telangana Rashtra Samiti formally announcing its decision to join the alliance. The TRS had been holding political negotiations with both the Grand Alliance and Chiranjeevi's Praja Rajyam Party.TRS chief K Chandrasekhara Rao, accompanied by other party leaders, met TDP supremo N Chandrababu Naidu today afternoon and formally joined the alliance.
The political scene in Andhra Pradesh took an interesting turn on Tuesday with the Telangana Rashtra Samiti deciding to join the Grand Alliance comprising the Telugu Desam Party, the Communist Party of India - Marxist and the Communist Party of India. The TRS' decision came as a major setback for the ruling Congress and a rude shock for the fledgling Praja Rajyam Party of actor Chiranjeevi, as they desperately sought to align with the pro-Telangana outfit.
Apple CEO Tim Cook said he was looking forward to a long-term relationship with Telangana.
It is now more or less certain that the film actress-turned-politician Vijayshanti will quit the Telangana Rashtra Samiti as the party president K Chandrasekhara Rao has not included her in the 23 member politburo.
Seeking to put an end to the crisis in the party, Telangana Rashtra Samithi president K Chandrasekhara Rao on Saturday revoked the suspension of rebel leaders who raised a banner of revolt against his leadership.
The announcement came after several senior party leaders revolted against him, holding him responsible for the debacle of the party in the recent elections. Also, a group of rebel TRS leaders launched a new non-political organisation -- Telangana Vimocana Samiti -- to continue the struggle.
Naidu, whose 150-day-long Mee Kosam Yatra entered the West Godavari district on Sunday night spoke to Rao for 15 minutes, well informed and reliable sources in the TDP said. Since Chandrasekhara Rao left the TDP in 2001 and launched the movement for Telangana and formed his own political party, it was first time that the two leaders spoke directly.
Telangana Rahstra Samiti chief K Chandrasekhara Rao broke his fast of 11 days at around midnight after Union Home Minister P Chidambaram announced in Delhi that the process for the formation of Telangana state had been initiated.
Sporadic incidents of violence and suicide by at least three activists marred the Telangana Bandh called by Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) on Monday to protest against the arrest of its president, K Chandrasekhara Rao and police cane charge on students in Hyderabad on Sunday.
In a reflection of the serious trouble brewing in the ranks of Telangana Rashtra Samiti, the party's beleaguered president K Chandrasekhara Rao faced the wrath of the party cadre during a visit to Nalgonda district.
The crisis in the Telangana Rashtra Samiti, triggered by the resignation of party president K Chandrasekhara Rao after the defeat of the party in the recently held by elections, blew over on Wednesday with Rao withdrawing his resignation. Rao had sent his resignation to party general secretary Madhusudhanachary on Tuesday accepting the moral responsibility for the party's defeat in the by election. The TRS had lost two of its four Lok Sabha sets and seats.
While the popular star NTR Junior himself has come out with a public appeal to allow his film to be release as he did not belong to any particular region and does not believe in regionalism, Kavita told a media conference in Hyderabad on Tuesday that she and her workers will definitely stop the release of the film as it was produced and directed by anti-Telangana people.
The man who made the 50-year-old dream of Telangana come true was in tears when the good news broke. K Chandrasekhara Rao broke down remembering all those who had laid down their lives for the statehood during the long struggle.
K T Rama Rao, son of Telangana Rashtra Samithi chief K Chandrasekhara Rao, said late on Wednesday that moving a resolution in Andhra Pradesh assembly for creation of separate Telangana state was not enough and asked the Centre to introduce a bill in Parliament for this.
Telangana Rashtra Samiti president K Chandrasekhara Rao said he was ready to lay down his life for the cause of separate Telangana state and made a final appeal to the government of India to start the process of formation of separate state immediately.
Telangana Rashtra Samiti President K Chandrasekhara Rao tells B Dasarath Reddy that statehood for Telangana is certain before or immediately after the 2009 general elections.
Karimnagar, which had been in the news for reelecting the Telangana Rashtra Samithi president, K Chandrasekhara Rao, with a thumping majority, has also entered the radar of Maruti Udyog Limited.
Rao had quit the UPA ministry last month.
T Devender Goud, who quit the Telugu Desam party over the Telangana issue, has made it clear that his future political plans do not include any tie up with the Telangana Rahstra Samiti of K Chandrasekhara Rao or any other political party. Goud, the former No 2 of the TDP, told mediapersosn that he has convened a meeting of the intellectuals and the elders, who have been associated with the Telangana movement, on June 28.
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