Telangana Rashtra Samithi
Encyclopedia
Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) is a regional separatist political party
in the southern India
n state of Andhra Pradesh
.
(KCR), the founder and president of Telangana Rashtra Samithi, was a member of the Telugu Desam Party
until he quit the party due to differences with Nara Chandrababu Naidu and formed the TRS in 2001 at Hyderabad. He quit the Membership of AP Legislative Assembly and the post of Deputy Speaker of AP Legislature while floating the Party. The party initially won one third of Mandal Parishad Territorial Constituencies (MPTC) and one quarter of Zilla Parishad Territorial Constituencies (ZPTC) in Siddipet within sixty days of the formation of the party.
The party repeatedly assured the people of Telangana that the formation of the new state was on the cards and could happen 'any moment.' When the Central government failed to deliver Telangana, the party withdrew support from the government. On 13 September 2006, Rao triggered a by-election
in his Lok Sabha
constituency of Karimnagar, claiming provocation from one of the Congress MLA. He won the subsequent by-election with a strong majority.
All TRS MLAs and MPs resigned their positions in April 2008 when the Central government did not meet their demand for a separate state in its latest budget session for the 5 year term. The by-election was held on May 29, 2008.
In the bye-elections, 2008, TRS won 7 out of the 16 assembly segments and 2 out of the 4 loksabha segments, a significant defeat for the party.
TRS Chief K. Chandrasekhar Rao offered to resign after he lost a number of seats in by-elections but was convinced to remain in office.
and including the Third Front
and various left parties, in upcoming Assembly and Lok Sabha elections. At the same time, it was announced that the Talli Telangana, led by actress Vijayshanti, had merged into the TRS. However, after the elections in Andhra Pradesh were completed, but before the counting of votes, TRS switched allegiance to the NDA
, with Rao proclaiming that his party had been stabbed in the back by Congress after giving them oxygen in the 2005 elections. TRS lost 16 of its 26 seats in the Assembly, falling to fourth place with less than 4% of the statewide Assembly vote; and lost three of its five seats in the Lok Sabha, dropping to 6.14% of the LS vote.
On June 19, 2009, Rao resigned for a short period of time after personal attacks made against him by dissident TRS leaders in wake of the party's electoral defeat.
Political party
A political party is a political organization that typically seeks to influence government policy, usually by nominating their own candidates and trying to seat them in political office. Parties participate in electoral campaigns, educational outreach or protest actions...
in the southern India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n state of Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh , is one of the 28 states of India, situated on the southeastern coast of India. It is India's fourth largest state by area and fifth largest by population. Its capital and largest city by population is Hyderabad.The total GDP of Andhra Pradesh is $100 billion and is ranked third...
.
Ideology
Telangana Rashtra Samithi's main aim is to separate Telangana region from Andhra Pradesh and to regain regional autonomy as it existed before the formation of Andhra Pradesh state in 1956. K. Chandrashekar RaoK. Chandrashekar Rao
Kalvakuntla Chandrashekar Rao , abbreviated KCR, is a member of the 15th Lok Sabha of India. He is a Member of Parliament from the Mahaboobnagar constituency of Andhra Pradesh and is the president of the Telangana Rashtra Samithi. He was the cabinet minister for Labour and Employment.-Early...
(KCR), the founder and president of Telangana Rashtra Samithi, was a member of the Telugu Desam Party
Telugu Desam Party
Telugu Desam Party or TDP is a regional political party in India's Andhra Pradesh state. It was founded by former Telugu film star N. T...
until he quit the party due to differences with Nara Chandrababu Naidu and formed the TRS in 2001 at Hyderabad. He quit the Membership of AP Legislative Assembly and the post of Deputy Speaker of AP Legislature while floating the Party. The party initially won one third of Mandal Parishad Territorial Constituencies (MPTC) and one quarter of Zilla Parishad Territorial Constituencies (ZPTC) in Siddipet within sixty days of the formation of the party.
Politics
In the 2004 assembly elections, the TRS formed an alliance with Congress (I) and won 26 state assembly seats. The party also won 5 parliament seats at the national level. It joined the governments at both state and central level. In September 2006 the party withdrew support for the central government on the grounds of indecision by the government over the delivery of its electoral promise to create Telangana. On Sept 4th 2011, Wikileaks revealed some sensational cables related to the then resignation of the TRS members for the formation of a separate state. The actual grounds on which they have resigned is due to life-threat to the TRS party members from the Maoists of the Telangana region. The question that arises is that,How can a party with a adhering alliance with the Indian National Congress contest in elections and then break the bonding within a short span of 6 months ? Despite being offered several Minister posts to the TRS party members.The party repeatedly assured the people of Telangana that the formation of the new state was on the cards and could happen 'any moment.' When the Central government failed to deliver Telangana, the party withdrew support from the government. On 13 September 2006, Rao triggered a by-election
By-election
A by-election is an election held to fill a political office that has become vacant between regularly scheduled elections....
in his Lok Sabha
Lok Sabha
The Lok Sabha or House of the People is the lower house of the Parliament of India. Members of the Lok Sabha are elected by direct election under universal adult suffrage. As of 2009, there have been fifteen Lok Sabhas elected by the people of India...
constituency of Karimnagar, claiming provocation from one of the Congress MLA. He won the subsequent by-election with a strong majority.
All TRS MLAs and MPs resigned their positions in April 2008 when the Central government did not meet their demand for a separate state in its latest budget session for the 5 year term. The by-election was held on May 29, 2008.
In the bye-elections, 2008, TRS won 7 out of the 16 assembly segments and 2 out of the 4 loksabha segments, a significant defeat for the party.
TRS Chief K. Chandrasekhar Rao offered to resign after he lost a number of seats in by-elections but was convinced to remain in office.
TRS and the "Grand Alliance"
On January 31, 2009, it was announced that TRS officially joined the "Grand Alliance" headed by Telugu Desam PartyTelugu Desam Party
Telugu Desam Party or TDP is a regional political party in India's Andhra Pradesh state. It was founded by former Telugu film star N. T...
and including the Third Front
United National Progressive Alliance
Sometimes known as the Third Front. For the Third Front in power between 1996 and 1998, see United Front . For the Third Front in power between 1989 and 1991, see National Front ....
and various left parties, in upcoming Assembly and Lok Sabha elections. At the same time, it was announced that the Talli Telangana, led by actress Vijayshanti, had merged into the TRS. However, after the elections in Andhra Pradesh were completed, but before the counting of votes, TRS switched allegiance to the NDA
National Democratic Alliance (India)
The National Democratic Alliance is a centre-right coalition of political parties in India. At the time of its formation in 1998, it was led by the Bharatiya Janata Party and had thirteen constituent parties. Its convenor is Sharad Yadav, and its honorary chairman is former prime minister Atal...
, with Rao proclaiming that his party had been stabbed in the back by Congress after giving them oxygen in the 2005 elections. TRS lost 16 of its 26 seats in the Assembly, falling to fourth place with less than 4% of the statewide Assembly vote; and lost three of its five seats in the Lok Sabha, dropping to 6.14% of the LS vote.
On June 19, 2009, Rao resigned for a short period of time after personal attacks made against him by dissident TRS leaders in wake of the party's electoral defeat.
Results
| Year | Election | Seats Won | Seats Contested |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Assembly | 26 | 54 |
| 2004 | Parliament | 5 | 6 |
| 2008 | Assembly (Bye) | 7 | 16 |
| 2008 | Parliament (Bye) | 2 | 4 |
| 2009 | Assembly | 10 | 45 |
| 2009 | Parliament | 2 | 9 |
| 2010 | Assembly (Bye) | 11 | 11 |
| 2011 | Assembly (Bye) | 1 | 1 |
External links
- Telangana Talks - Voice your opinion for Separation
- http://ceoandhra.nic.in/Statistical2004.pdf General Elections 2004 - Andhra Pradesh