102 MLAs resign, Assembly adjourned: Shutdown in Andhra, Rayalaseema
Hyderabad:Cutting across party lines, 102 MLAs belonging to different political parties handed over their resignation letters to the State Assembly Speaker N Kiran Kumar Reddy this morning in protest against the Centre's ecision to initiate the process for the formation of the Telangana State. The
announcement sanctioning a new State has backfired colossally for the Centre.
The Andhra Pradesh assembly has been adjourned for fifteen minutes following the
resignations by MLAs. Andhra Speaker N Kiran Kumar Reddy said the resignations
have not been accepted yet. Earlier on Thursday, 93 legislators hailing from Rayalaseema
and coastal Andhra regions of Andhra Pradesh (AP) had also submitted their resignation
letters to the Speaker of the House, in protest against the Centre's decision
to initiate the process of formation of the Telangana state. "I will be calling
every signatory to the resignation letter before I take any decision," the speaker
had said on Thursday, adding that he had received resignation letters of 53 Congress
legislators, 29 Telugu Desam Party MLAs and 11 Praja Rajyam Party legislators.
Under tremendous pressure, the Centre late on Wednesday night accepted the demand
of Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) chief K Chandrashekhar Rao for the formation
of a Telangana State. With its decision, the Centre seems to fumble over the Telangana
issue, as along with Telangana, now there is a demand for separate States for
Andhra, Rayalaseema and even north-coastal Andhra bordering Orissa. To add to
the troubles of the government, there is also a demand for according Union Territory
status for Hyderabad. Chief minister, K Rosaiah, had on Thursday urged the legislators
not to get agitated and pointed out that a resolution seeking separate statehood
for Telangana could be adopted by the Assembly only with the consent of the majority
of the members. Meanwhile, a shutdown has been called today in coastal Andhra
and Rayalaseema districts, to protest against the Centre's decision for giving
its nod to the formation of a Telangana State.
