Maintaining that the Centre had given him an assurance over formation of separate Telangana state after the Vice Presidential poll, Telangana Rashtra Samithi president K Chandrasekhar Rao on Sunday said if the demand is not met, the agitation for separate statehood would be stepped up.
Widespread protests, demonstrations, road blockades and rallies were held in several Telangana districts while Telangana Joint Action Committee (JAC) activists allegedly attacked Civil Supplies Department's godown and burnt vehicles in Mahabubnagar district.
Handed down by the Mahatma as a medium to peacefully protest for a cause, hunger strikes have, however, been used by many politicians for achieving individual and petty goals. Many leaders have been successful while some failed in getting their demands conceded, but fasting is still considered an effective weapon of protest in Indian polity.
Many parts of Telangana regions erupted into violence as the police foiled the attempt of Rao to go on a fast-unto-death by arresting him on Sunday.
Stalin, like his father M Karunanidhi did in 2004, may play the king-maker in a way -- not the king, unless the 2024 post-poll circumstances throws up a situation where he alone becomes acceptable to the rest, observes N Sathiya Moorthy.
"TRS welcomes the decision of the UP Chief Minister. It is a bold step. It is very good for democracy. She has also reiterated her support to the formation of Telangana. For her act of kindness, I thank her," TRS chief K Chandrasekhar Rao told media persons in Hyderabad before leaving for Delhi to attend the Parliament session.
The Hyderabad police have registered 16 cases against pro-Telangana activists, including Telangana Rashtra Samithi leaders K Chandrasekhar Rao, in connection with the violence during the 'Million March' on Thursday.
The next few days would, however, not witness much protests in the Telangana region.
KCR will continue as caretaker chief minister until the new government is formed.
Stepping up its campaign, a group of political parties from Telangana has set an ultimatum for the Centre asking it to announce a time-frame by Monday for formation of the separate state, failing which an indefinite bandh would be enforced from December 29.
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.
By his astounding feat of forcing the government of India to bow before him and accept his demand for carving out a separate state of Telangana from Andhra Pradesh, 55-year-old Kalvakuntla Chandrasekhara Rao has forced both his friends and enemies to sit up and take notice.
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 Chandrasekhar Rao was on Sunday detained near Karimnagar ahead of his proposed fast unto death for separate Telangana.
Telugu Desam Party President N Chandrababu Naidu rang up Telangana Rashtra Samiti chief K Chandrasekhar Rao, who took over as Telangana's first Chief Minister on Monday and invited the latter to his swearing-in ceremony as Andhra Pradesh CM on June 8.
In a development likely to add to the anxieties of the Andhra-Rayalaseema settlers in the Telangana region, the Telangana Rashtra Samiti President K Chandrashekhar Rao has said that the government employees of other regions working in Telangana will have to go back to their original places. "They will not have any other options," he said.
Political analyst and former MLC Prof Nageshwar said that by frequently visiting the temple the BJP is trying to polarise votes which unfortunately MIM also wants.
Even as the top leadership of the Congress party in New Delhi was busy in confabulations to find a way out of the mess in Telangana region of Andhra Pradesh, its state government seems to be inching for a confrontation with the agitators.
With the results pouring in for the five states, celebrations and distribution of sweets have also begun. The Congress wasted no time to start bursting firecrackers after early trends showed that the party was surging ahead in Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh. Take a look at the festivities.
Telangana Rashtra Samiti and Telangana Joint Action Committee have set the tone for the indefinite mass strike from Tuesday with a massive show of strength in Karimnagar district.
Family and friends say their last goodbyes to Nandamuri Harikrishna.
The BJP can't be sure if it should celebrate that the old rival is fading or worry that new ones are rising. Because the last thing the BJP wants to see is alternatives rising, if only to the Congress, observes Shekhar Gupta.
Was a clash with Telagana Rashtra Samithi leader K Chandrashekhara Rao over the Medak Lok Sabha constituency the reason for Vijayashanthi leaving the TRS and joining the Congress? The actress-MP speaks to Rediff.com's Vicky Nanjappa.
Telangana Rashtra Samiti founder president K Chandrasekhar Rao on Tuesday resigned from his post owning moral responsibility for his party's debacle in the recent bypolls in Andhra Pradesh. Rao, whose party failed to retain even half of the seats it had vacated, sent his resignation letter to the party general secretary T Madhusudhanchary.
These measures are in addition to other proposals made earlier, including regulation of sale and consumption of liquor, free trips to certain religious places like Sabarimala and distribution of one lakh cows every year.
Telangana and Rajasthan are the last states to go to the polls in the current round of assembly elections, which also covered Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Mizoram.
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 Rashtra Samiti supremo K Chandrashekhar Rao said that he will go on a hunger strike from February if until then the bill to form a separate Telangana state is not introduced in the Parliament. Rao's decision came at the Joint Action Committee meeting held in Hyderabad on Thursday night, hours after the Srikrishna Commission was made public.
Earlier, KCR had met West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee as part of efforts to build a non-Congress, non-BJP third front ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.
Telangana Rashtra Samithi president K Chandrasekhar Rao on Wednesday said a 'civil war' might occur if the Sri Krishna Committee fails to grant separate statehood to Telangana.
Fisrt Look on TRS president's resignation from Lok Sabha.
Confident that the Central government would not back out of creation of Telangana, Telangana Rashtra Samithi leader K Chandrashekhar Rao on Thursday said the Congress and the Centre needed some time to act on it.
'She is a daughter-in-law of Pakistan and this is not something that can be overlooked.' 'So many have contributed towards the Telangana cause and many have laid down their lives for the same. Why are their names not considered?' BJP leader Dr K Laxman defends himself in this exclusive interview with Vicky Nanjappa/Rediff.com
BJP president Amit Shah, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, and Union Minister Nitin Gadkari were among those who addressed public meetings in different parts of the state on Sunday.
EPS' real test will commence with a decision whether or not to patch up with OPS and on what terms -- and then, to decide whether or not to have the BJP for an electoral ally, come 2024, observes N Sathiya Moorthy.
It is in no way a government of the economic Right. The Right is limited to religion and nationalism. The rest is as Left as the Congress or any other party, observes Shekhar Gupta.
Congress leaders and political analysts feel that Congress president Sonia Gandhi should have visited Telangana after the Parliament passed the Telangana Bill and after the Telangana Rashtra Samithi refused to ally with the Congress. Vicky Nanjappa reports
As the five states -- Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Telangana and Mizoram -- go to the polls, here is how the big names are faring.
'Victory and defeat are an integral part of life. Today's results will further our resolve to serve people and work even harder for the development of India,' Modi said.
