225 MLAs will vote against Telangana resolution: Rajagopal

In an apparent bid to scuttle the move to form Telangana, Congress MP L Rajagopal today threatened to go on a hunger strike if a resolution favouring the separate state was not introduced in the Andhra Pradesh Assembly, which, he claimed, will be opposed by 225 MLAs.

In an apparent bid to scuttle the move to form Telangana, Congress MP L Rajagopal on Sunday threatened to go on a hunger strike if a resolution favouring the separate state was not introduced in the Andhra Pradesh Assembly, which, he claimed, will be opposed by 225 MLAs.

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Rajagopal, the Vijayawada MP who has resigned his Lok Sabha seat, said he would join the movement for a unified Andhra Pradesh and against creation of Telangana.

"The UPA Government has asked the state government to move a resolution in the Assembly. The resolution should be moved. I will meet Chief Minister (K Rosaiah) on Monday in this regard. If the resolution is not moved I have decided to go on a hunger strike," he told a press conference here.

Rajagopal claimed that the resolution favouring bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh would be defeated on the floor of the house by not less than 225 MLAs voting against it.

"Resolution should be moved...I am saying now that more than 225 MLAs will oppose the resolution. Even MLAs from Telangana will oppose the formation of a separate state. All Telugu-speaking people should be united...Only some divisive people want a separate state," he said.

Rajagopal also claimed that the Ministers, who had yesterday decided to quit, have decided to continue in office.