Rayapati: If stick to Congress, people will beat me up

If I continue with Congress, people will beat me up, party MP Rayapati Sambasiva Rao today, two days after announcing his decision to quit the party in the wake of UPA's decision to split Andhra Pradesh.

 I will decide the future course of action after my return, Rao told PTI from New York when asked whether he was joining YSR Congress headed by Y S Jaganmohan Reddy, which is against bifurcation of the state.
 Rao, who is also the Lok Sabha member from Guntur, said that soon after his return to India he would quit Congress as also his parliamentary seat.
 He expressed the hope that other Congress MPs from coastal Andhra and Rayalseema regions would also quit the party and parliament membership.
 The present situation in Andhra is so bad that they (the MPs) will not get re-elected if they continue with Congress party. I am in touch with them, Rao said.
 He also pointed out the decision of a minister and party legislator from coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema to resign, protesting against the decision and said there is no use of having loyalty to the Congress high command.
 Andhra Pradesh Minister of Infrastructure and Investment Ganta Srinivasa Rao and nine MLAs and four MLCs have put in their papers, upset over Congress' decision to create separate Telangana.
 Telangana, one of the three regions of Andhra Pradesh, will be created as India's 29th state and the IT hub of Hyderabad will be a common capital for the next 10 years.
PTI