HYDERABAD, July 3 (Agencies): Four dissident Telugu Desam Party (TDP) legislators from Telangana Sunday sent their resignations to the Andhra Pradesh assembly speaker even as both ruling Congress and the main opposition TDP legislators from the region are set to resign Monday seeking a separate state. Congress MPs, state ministers and legislators reiterated that they will not go back on their resignations even as the party leadership continued its efforts for the second day to dissuade them. The party MPs are scheduled to leave for Delhi in the evening to submit their resignations to Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar and Rajya Sabha chairman Hamid Ansari Monday. The members of state assembly, including ministers, will submit their papers to assembly speaker N. Manohar while the members of legislative council will hand over their resignations to council chairman K. Chakrapani. Hectic political activity is on in the ruling party circles as Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy and state Congress chief Botsa Satyanarayana were holding talks with Telangana ministers to persuade them not to take any step which precipitates matters. The chief minister held talks with his deputy Damodar Rajanarasimha, who comes from Telangana, and other ministers, including G. Saraiah, Sudershan Reddy, Ramreddy Venkat Reddy and Sreedhar Babu.
Satyanarayana also held another meeting with Congress ministers to counsel restraint. According to party sources, he told them that resignations would only create a crisis and advised them to wait for the central government’s decision on the issue. Telangana leaders, who also received a call from Congress president Sonia Gandhi’s political secretary Ahmed Patel Saturday, remained firm. They have given the leadership time till 11 a.m. Monday to make an announcement on initiating the process for formation of separate state in accordance with the statement made by the central government Dec 9, 2009. Meanwhile, taking a lead four dissident legislators of TDP Sunday sent their resignations to the assembly speaker. The TDP leaders began a fast here, demanding unity among all parties and leaders fighting for separate state. TDP legislators held a separate meeting to chalk out their strategy. TDP Telangana forum convenor E. Dayakar Rao told reporters that they would submit their resignations only after their counterparts from the Congress. He also demanded that legislators of all parties should resign. “The resignations should not be for another by-election but to force the central and state governments to accept the demand for separate state,” he said. .
Satyanarayana also held another meeting with Congress ministers to counsel restraint. According to party sources, he told them that resignations would only create a crisis and advised them to wait for the central government’s decision on the issue. Telangana leaders, who also received a call from Congress president Sonia Gandhi’s political secretary Ahmed Patel Saturday, remained firm. They have given the leadership time till 11 a.m. Monday to make an announcement on initiating the process for formation of separate state in accordance with the statement made by the central government Dec 9, 2009. Meanwhile, taking a lead four dissident legislators of TDP Sunday sent their resignations to the assembly speaker. The TDP leaders began a fast here, demanding unity among all parties and leaders fighting for separate state. TDP legislators held a separate meeting to chalk out their strategy. TDP Telangana forum convenor E. Dayakar Rao told reporters that they would submit their resignations only after their counterparts from the Congress. He also demanded that legislators of all parties should resign. “The resignations should not be for another by-election but to force the central and state governments to accept the demand for separate state,” he said. .
