HYDERABAD — The Congress party suffered a setback on Saturday as the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS), an important ally in Andhra Pradesh, refused to have any trucks with it. After first turning down a proposal for merger with the Congress, TRS President K. Chandrasekhar Rao ruled out an alliance with the party in the upcoming elections. Meanwhile, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) clinched a crucial electoral deal with the Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam in neighboring Tamil Nadu on Saturday. Rao, however, expressed his willingness to support the Congress if it was in a position to form a government at the center. There was no question of any alliance because the Congress had denigrated the TRS with “let them come, we will consider” remarks, Rao said at a press conference on Saturday after a meeting of the party's election committee. It was decided to release 65-70 names for the Assembly polls and 10 for the Lok Sabha elections in the first phase on Monday. While the Congress fortunes dipped in Hyderabad, the BJP found cause for hope in Chennai by piecing together an alliance with the DMDK led by actor Vijayakant. Two other regional parties, the Pattali Makkal Katchi and the Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, are already committed to seat adjustments with the BJP. — Agencies
