Rahul Gandhi rules out alliance with TRS, says KCR acting like 'king'

Says assembly polls next year will be direct fight between Congress and TRS

ITDC INDIA EPRESS/ITDC NEWS R Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday ruled out any alliance with the TRS in Telangana and launched a scathing attack on its president K. Chandrashekar Rao, saying he was acting like a "king" instead of a chief minister.

Addressing the 'Rythu Sangharshana Sabha', a farmers' rally organised to highlight their plight, Gandhi said as soon as the Congress forms its government in Telangana, farm loans up to Rs 2 lakh will be waived and farmers will get right MSP (minimum support price) of crops.

In an apparent swipe at Rao, popularly known as KCR, he said that while the dream of Telangana's progress remained unfulfilled, only one family had "benefitted immensely" after the state was carved out of Andhra Pradesh.

He asserted that going forward, the Congress would have no truck with the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) and that the assembly polls next year will be a direct fight between the Congress and the KCR-led party.

Gandhi said any Congress person who wants an understanding with the TRS could either cross over to that party or the BJP.

"Congress will not have any understanding with the person who ruined the dream of Telangana, betrayed it and stole lakhs and crores (of rupees) from the youth and the poor," Gandhi said.

He also asserted that the Congress knew it will suffer politically but it stood with the people of Telangana to give them a new state in 2014.

The people of Telangana thought a government for the poor will be formed but it did not happen and today there is a "king" instead of a chief minister, he said.

Gandhi alleged that KCR was not listening to farmers but to his 2-3 "crony capitalist friends".