Telangana fallout: More Congress MLAs resign in Andhra Pradesh

Unhappy with the Centre`s decision to create a separate state of Telangana, Nine Congress MLAs and three MLCs resigned in AP.

Zee Media Bureau

Hyderabad: Unhappy with the Centre`s decision to create a separate state of Telangana by bifurcating Andhra Pradesh, nine Congress MLAs and three MLCs resigned from their posts on Thursday. Meanwhile, 14 more Congress ministers have also threatened to resign today. According to reports, the fresh warning from Congress ministers comes a day after six of the party legislators from coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema regions tendered their resignations to Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy. There are nearly 40 ministers in Reddy`s government. If the resignations continue, the Congress government in the state could be reduced to minority intensifying the political crisis in the state further. While residents and leaders of Telangana, which includes the IT hub of Hyderabad, have been ecstatic with the fruition of a five-decade-long movement for statehood, the other two regions of the state, coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema, say they have been betrayed. The announcement on Telangana has triggered violent protests against the decision to divide Andhra Pradesh and rocked Rayalaseema and coastal Andhra regions for the second day today. On the other side, united Andhra supporters have taken out rallies and prevented public transport buses from plying. Protests were reported from the districts of Krishna, East Godavari, Visakhapatnam, Kadapa and Anantapur. While the hunger strike launched by students in Visakhaptnam at the Andhra University entered the third day today, lawyers refrained from attending courts today as a part of their 72-hour boycott in Visakhapatnam and other districts. Some pro-united Andhra outfits have been observing a 72-hour shutdown at places like Visakhapatnam. Government-run RTC sources said they were operating in the city and on long route bus services since morning and there was no damage to the vehicles in the district since yesterday. According to police, the situation was peaceful and no untoward incidents have been reported so far today. Educational institutions and commercial establishments remained shut at several places, reports reaching here said. Protests were held outside the offices and residences of some public representatives demanding their resignation to mount pressure on the Centre. However, no major incident of violence was reported in the morning hours, officials said. At least three policemen were injured when they were pelted with stones by protesters in Anantapur town yesterday. Apart from incidents of stone throwing at police and some government offices in Anantapur town and damage to statues besides rallies and demonstrations (during the bandh), the situation was peaceful in other parts of Seemandhra yesterday. Central paramilitary forces and state police were deployed in large numbers for the three-phase Gram Panchayat elections that concluded yesterday. With PTI inputs