Crisis in Andhra Pradesh as Telangana MLAs, MPs quit

HYDERABAD: The stage was set for a constitutional crisis in Andhra Pradesh with almost 87 of the legislators in the 294-strong state assembly belonging to theTelanganaregion submitting their resignations to deputy speaker Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka in support of their demand for a separate state on Monday afternoon.

Those who submitted their resignations comprised 49CongressMLAs including 11 ministers in the Kiran Kumar Reddy government, 37 TDP MLAs and one PRP MLA. Of the 119 MLAs that belong to the Telangana region, the Congress accounts for 53. The only four Telangana legislators from the ruling party who did not resign were city ministers Danam Nagender and Mukesh Goud and MLAs M Shashidhar Reddy and deputy chief minister Damodar Raja Narasimha.

The Kiran Kumar government has a strength of 154 MLAs in the 295 assembly and has the support of 18 PRP MLAs, 7 belonging to the MIM and a few independents. Interestingly, among the first to resign on Monday from the ruling party were Konda Surekha, an ardent supporter of YSR Congress chief YS Jaganmohan Reddy, and P Vishnuvardhan Reddy, city MLA who has stayed away from either the CM or Jagan group.

Soon after submitting their resignations, the panchayat raj minister K Jana Reddy said that their sole aim was to achieve Telangana and they would continue to remain in the party and fight for a separate state. He expressed happiness that they had chosen to submit resignations on July 4 which happens to be the United States' independence day and hoped that Telangana region would get independence soon.

Another minister, Komatireddy Venkat Reddy said that the move made by the Congress leaders should not be viewed with any doubt. "We are very serious and there is no question of going to Delhi for talks unless the central leadership announces that they will carve a separate state. But soon after, the panchayat raj minister K Jana Reddy said that he was going to Delhi in the afternoon as he had been called by the party high command.

Admitting that they could be staring at a crisis, aides of the chief minister said they are assessing the situation. "Vikramarka, the deputy speaker who accepted the resignations, is likely to wait for speaker Nadendla Manohar to return toHyderabadfrom his trip abroad for a decision to be taken on the resignations. In the meantime, the Congress high command too will swing into action. We are confident that the Kiran government will survive," said a CM aide.

ButNew Delhiis already feeling the heat. Six Congress Lok Sabha MPs and one from the Rajya Sabha arrived in the national capital on Monday morning and were scheduled to submit their resignations to Lok Sabha speaker Meira Kumar and Rajya Sabha deputy chairman M Hamid Ansari later in the afternoon. AICC general secretary in-charge of AP Ghulam Nabi Azad again urged restrain on the part of the Telangana elected representatives and claimed he has summoned a team of MLAs to New Delhi for urgent talks.

In the meantime, the Telangana Political JAC went into an emergency meeting and is likely to urge the 11 TRS MLAs also to follow suit with their resignations so that the entire region acts in one voice in order to achieve their goal of a separate state. On the other hand, keenly monitoring the developments, the MPS, MLAs and MLCs of all the major political parties belonging to the Seema-Andhra region were huddled in closed door meetings and planning their move to counter the Telangana leaders. Earlier, they were scheduled to meet the Congress central leaders in New Delhi on Tuesday.

source: TOI