Telangana fallout: Seemandhra Congress leaders urge CM to resign

Congress leaders from Rayalaseema and Andhra regions on Saturday asked Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy and state Congress chief Botsa Satyanarayana to resign to mount pressure on the central government to withdraw its decision to bifurcate Andhra Pradesh.

Over 80 leaders including 19 ministers, 48 members of state assembly and 14 members of council called on the chief minister at his camp office in Hyderabad on Saturday. They include ministers and legislators who already have submitted their resignation to protest the decision to carve out separate Telangana state.

The chief minister and Satyanarayana held the meeting after Congress leadership entrusted them the responsibility to convince Seemandhra (Rayalaseema and Andhra) leaders to withdraw their resignations.

However, the leaders in turn urged the chief minister to quit to put pressure on the central government.

Some leaders who attended the meeting said they passed a unanimous resolution opposing state's division. Another resolution called for Congress Working Committee (CWC) to withdraw its resolution to carve out Telangana state.

The chief minister hails from Rayalaseema region while Satyanarayana, also a state minister, is from Andhra.

They advised the Seemandhra leaders to not to resign as they would lose an opportunity to participate in the discussion on Telangana resolution in the assembly and put forward their views.

Some leaders told the chief minister that if the division becomes inevitable, Hyderabad should be made either a union territory or a permanent joint capital.

Seemandhra leaders met the chief minister as the protests and shutdown continued in the two regions for the fourth consecutive day. Protestors laid siege to the houses of the elected representatives, demanding their resignations to keep the state united.

Earlier, Congress emissaries S.Thirunavukkarasu and Ramachandra Kuntia met the chief minister and asked him and Satyanarayana to persuade those who resigned to take back their resignations.

The chief minister, who took note of the views of the leaders, will convey the same to the central leaders.