First crack in Indian ruling coalition

Andhra Pradesh-based party Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) pulled out of UPA and withdrew support to the combine after two of its representatives in Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's government sent their resignation Tuesday evening.

The representatives are TRS chief K Chandrasekhar Rao, who held Labour portfolio, and his party colleague A Narendra who was minister of state for Rural Development.

However, the withdrawal of TRS, which has just five members in Parliament, would not at all affect the stability of the UPA government which enjoys the support of more than 340 MPs even without TRS support in the 542-member Lok Sabha.

The is the first fissure in UPA since the alliance was cobbled after BJP-led NDA's defeat in parliamentary elections in May 2004.

The TRS had about six months back pulled out of Congress-led government in Andhra Pradesh to press their demand for a Telangana state but it did not affect the state government as Congress has overwhelming majority in the legislative assembly.

The TRS had fought the 2004 general elections and assembly polls in Andhra Pradesh on the plank of Telangana state, an impoverished region, and had a pre-poll tie-up with Congress.

The TRS had been threatening to pull out of UPA for the last two years unless its demand was not met. As a last-ditch effort to TRS leaders to remain in UPA, leaders of the alliance had met them yesterday.

Congress maintained the stand that Telangana could not be carved out in present situation as several constituents of UPA and supporting parties, particularly the Left, are opposed to it. Besides, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy was said to be opposed to Telangana.