In the first fallout of the announcement of a separate Telangana state, senior Congress Lok Sabha member from Guntur Rayapati Sambasiva Rao on late Tuesday night said he has decided to resign from the party as well as his parliamentary seat 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 said over telephone from New York.
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 tonight unanimoulsy decided to create Telangana state out of Andhra Pradesh in the face of stiff resistance from leaders from non-Telangana region.