Likely division of Andhra makes five lawmakers quit

Protesting the central government's possible move to bifurcate Andhra Pradesh, five state legislators Sunday submitted their resignations.

Three members of the state legislative assembly and two of the legislative council, all from Kadapa district in Rayalaseema region, submitted their resignation letters to Samaikhya Andhra Joint Action Committee (JAC), which is fighting to keep the state united.

Two of the members of the assembly belong to the YSR Congress party, and one to the ruling Congress.

At a meeting held in Kadapa, the legislators handed over their resignations to JAC convenor Chandrasekhara Reddy, authorising him to forward these to the assembly speaker or council chairman, if the central government divides the state.

The YSR Congress Party's Srikant Reddy and Srinivasulu, the Congress' Adinarayana Reddy and council members Narayana Reddy and P. Pullaiah submitted their resignations.

The move came at a time when the Congress party has intensified its efforts to find a solution to the problem of Telangana. The Congress general secretary in charge of party affairs in the state, Digvijaya Singh said last week that a decision was in final stage and it would be announced as early as possible.

The central government had announced Dec 9, 2009, that the process for formation of a separate Telangana state would be initiated.

However, mass resignations of members ofv parliament and state legislature from Andhra and Rayalaseema regions forced the central government to put the process on hold.