Telangana fallout: 7 Cong MPs from Andhra region resign,Central ministers may follow

Nod for Telanagana strengthens voices for Gorkhaland,Vidarbha and Bundelkhand

While these MPs tendered their resignations to Lok Sabha Secretary General T K Vishwanathan,the lone Upper House member,KVP Ramachandra Rao,submitted his resignation to Rajya Sabha Secretary General Shamsher K Sheriff.

The MPs said that three more Lok Sabha members from the state – Sabbam Hari (Anakapalli),Magunta Srinivasulu Reddy (Ongole) and Rayapati Sambasiva Rao (Guntur) – had also faxed their resignations.

The MPs claimed that Central ministers from Andhra Pradesh would meet Congress President Sonia Gandhi and Prime Minister tomorrow and then tender their resignations.

They said they had sought an appointment with Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar as per norms that the Speaker,who has to accept their resignations,has to be satisfied that they had taken the step on their own free will and not under duress.

The resignations came a day after Congress Union Ministers and some MPs from Andhra Pradesh held a meeting at the residence of KVP Ramachandra Rao late last night.

At the meeting,the Union Ministers are understood to have counselled the MPs not to resign saying that after the Congress high-command’s decision on Telangana formation,it would focus on Andhra’s future development.

However,the MPs felt that the situation has still not gone out of hand and by tendering their resignations,they can force the government to hold back its decision.

Some of them were also of the view that the issue could be raised effectively in Parliament by stalling its proceedings when the Monsoon Session begins from Monday.

Asked whether there was any possibility of the MPs taking back their resignations,Harsha Kumar said,”There is no question. It is a very painful decision which has been taken in order to reflect the people’s opinion.”

He also said that the resignations would not be rejected as well because “we have given them in the proper format and addressed to the proper authority.”

Arun Kumar said that the Telangana decision was taken “without considering a host of issues”,most importantly water because the river Krishna flowed from the Telangana region into Rayalaseema.

Maintaining that Kurnool was the capital when Andhra Pradesh was formed in 1956,he said,”We gave up the capital status in favour of Hyderabad for the sake of a unified state.”

He said “all these major issues were not considered at all” which deciding on creating separate Telangana. “We have resigned to protest the decision of our Congress party,my party. The opinion of the people of Andhra and Rayalaseema was not considered.”

Arun Kumar also said that every section of people of these regions,including students,lawyers,businessmen and traders,have come out on the streets to protest the decision. “Our duty is to bring this to the notice of the party high command.”