Hyderabad:
In the first fallout of the announcement of a separate Telangana state, senior Congress Lok Sabha member from Guntur Rayapati Sambasiva Rao has resigned from the party in protest.
"I am hurt by Congress' decision to divide Andhra Pradesh. The decision to bifurcate the state is against the interest of the people of the state. Congress leaders from Telangana have misled the party leadership. So, I have decided to resign from both the party and the Lok Sabha seat. I will submit my resignation as soon as I reach Delhi", Rao had said before stepping down.
Sambasiva Rao said the Congress Working Committee's decision to carve out the new state is "objectionable" to the people of coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema regions.
Shedding its dithering, Congress and UPA on Tuesday night unanimoulsy decided to create Telangana state out of Andhra Pradesh in the face of stiff resistance from leaders from non-Telangana region.
Meanwhile, P Ramesh Babu, a Congress legislator from Pendurthy Assembly constituency in the district, has also resigned from his post to protest the Congress decision to form a separate Telangana state.
The MLA said on Monday that he sent his resignation letter to Assembly Speaker Nadendla Manohar through fax Tuesday night.
"I am for united Andhra," Ramesh Babu said, adding that he resigned from his post as he was upset over his party's decision to bifurcate Andhra Pradesh and carve out Telangana as a separate state.
The Congress and the UPA on Tuesday unanimously decided to create Telangana state out of Andhra Pradesh, a momentous decision that came in the face of stiff resistance from leaders from non-Telangana region.
The Congress Working Committee, the highest decision-making body, decided to recommend to the central government to form the 29th state which will comprise 10 districts.
Hyderabad, considered the crowning jewel of the Telangana region, will be the joint capital of the newly-proposed state and the other regions--Rayalaseema and Andhra--for a period of 10 years. A new capital for Andhra will be identified Seemandhra region within this period.
