Four Cong MLAs quit over formation of MP districts

However, Digvijay Singh told reporters today at Maharajpur, near Gwalior, that he had not received the resignations of the three MLAs who announced their decisions earlier. He said the districts of Mahasamund and Dhamtari could not be given district status as some people in nearby areas did not want to be a part of the new districts.

Police said, curfew, imposed late last night inManendragarh town of Surguja district, has not been lifted yet though it was relaxed for five hours in two spells to enable the people to buy essential commodities.

The Manendragarh locals are demanding that the headquarters of the new west Surguja district be located in their town and not at Baikanthpur as announced by the State government. The agitators had set ablaze the local Municipal Council Building in protest. Police informed that the situation today was under control.

Meanwhile, agitations continued at Mahasamund and Dhamtari in support of demands to declare them also as districts. The agitations were being supported by Congress and BJP. A call for total bandh has been given from tomorrow in support of the demand.

Two companies of police have been deployed at Mahasamund, police said. While, all the Congress Mahasamund block unit office-bearers too have resigned from their posts in protest.