Andhra political crisis deepens, 93 legislators quit

Andhra Pradesh Thursday plunged into political chaos after at least 93 legislators and many MPs, cutting across party lines, resigned to protest the central government's decision to carve out a separate Telangana state.

Assembly Speaker Kiran Kumar Reddy told reporters that 93 legislators from Rayalaseema and Andhra regions and belonging to three parties have submitted their resignations to him.

As many as 53 legislators of the ruling Congress, 29 of the main opposition Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and 11 of the Praja Rajyam Party (PRP) have submitted their resignation, he said.

'They either personally submitted their resignations to me or faxed them to my office,' the speaker said.

The speaker said they would continue to be the members of the assembly unless he accept the resignations.

'I will take a decision only after speaking to them individually,' he said.

Legislator Kiran Kumar Reddy, from the Rayalaseema region, denied reports that he too has resigned.

At least 36 members of the legislative council belonging to the Congress and the TDP have also resigned.

The Congress MP from Vijayawada, L. Rajagopal, was the first to send his resignation. Another MP, R. Sambasiva Rao, has also resigned. At least two other Congress MPs have also offered to quit.

The resignations are seen as a pressure tactic by the legislators to force the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) to withdraw its decision to move a resolution for formation of a separate Telangana state in the assembly.

Many legislators said they did not support the resolution.

Former minister and senior legislator J.C. Diwakar Reddy of the Congress was the first among legislators to resign.

In his letter to Speaker Kiran Kumar Reddy, he said the resignation was in protest of the division of the state. Diwakar Reddy hails from the Rayalaseema region.

Congress president Sonia Gandhi has called an emergency meeting of party MPs from Andhra and Rayalaseema regions in New Delhi Thursday evening, party sources said here.

Chief Minister K. Rosaiah, who hails from the Andhra region, said the resignations of legislators were true to 'some extent' but did not give the numbers.

Advising legislators and MPs not to get agitated, he tried to allay their apprehension that the state would be divided.

He said the resolution on Telangana would be moved only after evolving consensus.

TDP president N. Chandrababu Naidu blamed the Congress for the crisis and said it took a unilateral decision without consultations with other parties on forming the Telangana state.

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