According to TV reports, prospect of President's rule looms large over Andhra Pradesh as the state plunged into a deep political crisis with all the MLAs from the Andhra and Rayalaseema regions deciding to resign to protest the Centre's decision to grant separate statehood to Telangana.
The political backlash in Andhra Pradesh over Telangana decision had taken a new turn on Saturday with as many as 20 ministers hailing from coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema regions deciding to resign from their posts en masse.
The ministers, under immense pressure from their constituents to quit following the Centre's decision to bifurcate Andhra Pradesh, met and decided to put in their papers.
"We have decided to resign from our posts. We have asked three of our colleagues -- Dharmana Prasada Rao, Gade Venkata Reddy and C Silpa Mohan Reddy -- to communicate our decision to Chief Minister K Rosaiah," state Municipal Administration Minister Aanam Ramanarayana Reddy told newspersons after the meeting on Saturday.
Immediately, Dharmana, Gade and Silpa Mohan rushed to the Secretariat to meet the chief minister.
After their meeting, however, the ministers maintained that they had not taken up the resignation issue with Rosaiah yet. "We will meet him later in the evening and discuss the issue," Dharmana and Gade told reporters.
{{/usCountry}}After their meeting, however, the ministers maintained that they had not taken up the resignation issue with Rosaiah yet. "We will meet him later in the evening and discuss the issue," Dharmana and Gade told reporters.
{{/usCountry}}The Chief Minister, meanwhile, refused to speak to the media and left for home.
Battling a swell of political discontent on the Telangana decision, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Saturday stepped in to do damage control, telling MPs from coastal Andhra and Rayalseema that "nothing will be done in haste".
Over 130 MLAs and five MPs cutting across party lines from non-Telangana areas have resigned protesting against the decision to carve out the new state.