Telangana Bill to be introduced in Rajya Sabha today

Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Bill will come up for discussion in Rajya Sabha today.

Lok Sabha passed the bill on Tuesday by voice vote, which proposes the formation of a new state of Telangana out of a united state of Andhra Pradesh. The bill could not be taken up by Rajya Sabha yesterday due to protests.

Earlier, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh met Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders Arun Jaitley and Venkaiah Naidu to seek the opposition's support for the bill.

Congress President Sonia Gandhi has requested the Prime Minister to grant special category status to Seemandhra for five years.

Meanwhile, N. Kiran Kumar Reddy has resigned as Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister and has also quit the Congress Party.

"I can't continue. I am resigning from the post of CM, MLA and membership of the Congress Party," Reddy told media.

He also criticised the Congress and said the new state of Telangana was being created simply for votebank politics. "For seats and votes, the Telugu people have been divided. I condemn it," he said.

"Every norm has been violated. The bifurcation has been done in a highly undemocratic manner", he added.