33 TDP legislators from Telangana submit resignations

33 legislators of Andhra Pradesh's main opposition Telugu Desam Party (TDP) from the Telangana region Monday submitted their resignations to press their demand for a separate state. Five legislators of the ruling Congress have also resigned while others were on their way to the assembly to quit.

TDP leader T. Devender Goud told reporters outside the assembly that all members of his party from Telangana have submitted resignations to Deputy Speaker Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka as Speaker N. Manohar is in the US.

Three of the TDP legislators faxed their resignations from the US. Four rebel members of the party had sent their resignations Sunday from their hunger strike camp in Hyderabad.

Five legislators of the Congress have submitted their resignations to the deputy speaker since Monday morning while about 25 others, including a dozen ministers, were on their way to assembly to quit.

The Congress legislators left for the assembly after a meeting at Panchayat Raj Minister K. Jana Reddy's residence.

The legislators said the resignations were aimed at pressurising the centre to carve out separate Telangana state as promised by it Dec 9, 2009.

Telangana accounts for 119 legislators in the 294-member assembly. The Congress has 52 members, including two of Praja Rajyam Party (PRP), which recently joined with the ruling party.

TDP has 37 members from the region while Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) has 11.

The ruling party legislators who resigned this morning included Vishnuvardhan Reddy, rebel member Konda Surekha and G. Venkat Ram Reddy, who faxed his resignation from the US.

Ministers from Telangana have sought an appointment with Governor E.S.L. Narasimhan to submit their resignations. Reacting to reports that the central leadership invited them to Delhi for talks, minister K. Venkat Ramreddy told reporters that there was no question of going to the capital unless the centre agreed to form a separate state.

"We have already made it clear that our visit last month was the last visit to Delhi for talks," he said.

Nine MPs of Congress have reached Delhi to submit their resignations to Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar.

Police have made elaborate security arrangements around the assembly building.

33 TDP legislators from Telangana submit resignations