11 Cong MPs from Telangana decide to quit

Eleven Congress MPs from Telangana today decided to resign from the House in protest against the Centre's decision that appeared to put the separate state issue on the backburner.

However, there was no clarity on what Union Minister S Jaipal Reddy, who is also an MP from Telangana region, proposes to do.

The 11 MPs met at the Andhra Bhavan here to chalk out their strategy in the wake of Union Home Minister P Chidambaram's statement last night that said the situation in Andhra Pradesh has altered since his December 9 statement on a separate state and there was a need for wide-ranging consultations on the issue.

Madhu Yashki, one of the MPs, told reporters they were yet to decide whether to give their resignations to party president Sonia Gandhi or the Lok Sabha Speaker.

They would, however, convey their protests against government's action to Gandhi.

The MPs plan to meet Jaipal Reddy and convey their decision. The MPs said since Reddy was a union minister, he fell under a different category and a decision by him should take into account various other factors.