Telangana TDP MLAs meet Speaker; want resignations accepted

Telugu Desam Party (TDP) MLAs from Telangana, who put in their papers on July 4 demanding creation of a separate state, on Saturday met Andhra Pradesh Assembly Speaker Nadendla Manohar and requested him to accept their resignations.

Telugu Desam Party (TDP) MLAs from Telangana, who put in their papers on July 4 demanding creation of a separate state, on Saturday met Andhra Pradesh Assembly Speaker Nadendla Manohar and requested him to accept their resignations.

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Led by Telangana TDP Forum Convenor E Dayakar Rao, around 30 MLAs met the Speaker and requested him to accept their resignations or get a specific assurance from the Centre on creation of a separate state.

"We requested the Speaker to accept the resignations since they were submitted in the prescribed format," Rao later told reporters.

Manohar, however, told the Opposition legislators that he would follow due procedure before taking a decision on the resignations.

He would also consult Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar in this regard as she was dealing with the resignations of 14 MPs on the same issue, the Speaker is believed to have told the TDP lawmakers.

Manohar also said he would begin the process after his return from the Commonwealth Speakers' meet in UK.

On Friday, suspended TDP MLA Nagam Janardhana Reddy and two rebel legislators also met the Speaker and pressed for acceptance of their resignation letters.

In all, 37 TDP MLAs, including three rebels and one suspended legislator, have tendered their resignations demanding creation of Telangana state.

Interestingly, neither the Congress nor MLAs from smaller parties, including TRS, have met the Speaker yet to press for acceptance of their resignations.

A total of 101 out of 118 sitting MLAs from Telangana have put in their papers en masse in support of the statehood demand.