TRS scoffs at BJP overture

K Chandrashekar Rao's Telangana Rashtra Samithi, confident that it will secure another term, has decided to play hardball with the BJP which said on Sunday it was ready to support the TRS if it drops AIMIM and ‘‘seeks our support publicly." The BJP also claimed that no one will be able to form a government in the state without the support of the BJP.

The BJP overture came after five out of 11 exit polls gave outright majority to the ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi. An aggregate of the exit polls shows the party will win 67 seats in the 119member assembly -- well above the majority mark of 60. The aggregate also indicates that the BJP will get five seats.

Bhanu Prasad, a spokesperson of Telangana Rashtra Samithi, said they don't need any alliance and that they would form the government in the state on their own. "We are confident that we will win enough seats to retain power in the state," Prasad was quoted as saying by news agency ANI. Rao had rebuffed the BJP earlier, too, when the party sent feelers to his leaders. The Telangana Rashtra Samithi will remain a secular party, reiterated Rao, who is batting for a non-BJP, nonCong third front for next year's general elections.

State Congress chief GN Reddy did not rule out

joining hands with Owaisi's party. "If the TRS goes with BJP, AIMIM can sail with us if they want to," he said. The state elections in Telangana was held on Friday, the votes will be counted on Tuesday.