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Telangana: Cong divided over fresh resignations
A day after Andhra Pradesh assembly speaker N Manohar rejected the resignations of 101 legislators from Telangana, the main opposition Telugu Desam Party (TDP) launched a second round of resignations.
A day after Andhra Pradesh assembly speaker N Manohar rejected the resignations of 101 legislators from Telangana, the main opposition Telugu Desam Party (TDP) launched a second round of resignations. A rift, however, developed in the camp of the ruling Congress on the necessity of resigning afresh.
On July 4, 101 of the 119 legislators from Telangana had resigned to push for statehood. On Saturday, Manohar rejected the resignations as they were tendered in an “emotionally charged atmosphere”.
On Sunday, four rebel TDP legislators faxed their resignations to the office of the speaker, who had left earlier for London. The Telangana Rashtra Samity (TRS) and the TDP have announced their legislators will continue resigning till their resignations are accepted.
The Congress legislators, who began the earlier spate of resignations, however, stand divided. On Sunday, they met at the home of panchayat raj minister K Jana Reddy to plan the future course of action. While one section favored resigning again, another argued their resignations on July 4 had not gone in vain.
“We have succeeded in highlighting the aspirations of the people of Telangana in Delhi,” said one of the ministers on condition of anonymity.
Party sources said some Congressmen are ready to wait till the monsoon session of Parliament is over. “We are hoping the Centre would make a move thereafter,” said another legislator.
A 10-member Congress delegation would visit Delhi on Monday for a second round of talks with Ghulam Nabi Azad, party in-charge for Andhra Pradesh. TRS chief K Chandrasekhar Rao asked the Congress to boycott the talks with Azad if they “have any commitment to Telangana”.
The speaker, who has gone to attend the Commonwealth Presiding Officers’ conference, is expected to return in the second week of August. Of the 101 legislators who resigned earlier, 47 were from Congress, 37 from TDP, 11 from TRS, four from CPI and two from BJP.
