15 Andhra MLAs resign, Shinde says Telangana creation will take 6 months

 

Hyderabad/New Delhi, 01 Aug 2013: At least 15 legislators from Rayalaseema and Andhra regions of Andhra Pradesh on Thursday submitted their resignations to protest the Congress’ decision to carve out Telangana state.

 

While eight legislators including senior leaders JC Diwakar Reddy and Gade Venkat Reddy submitted their resignations to the legislature secretary at the assembly, two lawmakers submitted their letters to state Congress president.

 

Five other legislators including one from the main opposition Telugu Desam Party (TDP) faxed their resignation letters to the speaker’s office.

 

Two members of legislative council have also submitted their resignation to the chairman.

 

Diwakar Reddy told reporters at the assembly that they submitted their resignations in deference to the sentiments of the people of Seemandhra (Rayalaseema and Andhra). He said they would now join the people’s movement for keeping the state united.

 

Earlier, as many as 15 ministers and 26 legislators of the Congress party decided to submit resignations. They met at the ministers’ quarters here to chalk out their future course of action.

 

The leaders demanded that Congress working committee (CWC) reconsider its decision to carve out Telangana state.

 

An MP and six legislators had submitted their resignations on Monday, when Congress Working Committee took the decision to split the state.

 

Sixteen of the 17 legislators of YSR Congress party from Seemandhra had last week resigned to thwart any move by the Centre to carve out Telangana state.

 

’Telangana creation will take six months’

 

Meanwhile, Union home minister Sushilkumar Shinde has said that the process to create the new state of Telangana would be completed in around six months. "The new state (Telangana) will be formed as per constitution. The process should take between five-and-half to six months," Shinde told reporters in New Delhi.

 

"There will be no all-party meeting. People can come and give their suggestions to the government on the issue," he said.

 

Shinde said he had called an all-party meet of state leaders December 28 last year to evolve consensus on the issue and barring two parties, all had reached agreement.

 

The home ministry will now proceed as per the Congress working committee resolution on Telangana passed July 30.

 

According to the home minister, his ministry will move a cabinet note soon and once approved, it will be sent to the president who would then mark it to the Andhra Pradesh assembly to be approved in a definite period to be decided by the president.

 

After the yes or no from the state, the resolution will again go to the president who will then send it to parliament for its approval.

 

After parliamentary approval, the resolution will again go back to the president and after his approval, the new state will come into being.

 

Shinde said though the process should have taken around eight to nine months, it should be over in five-and-half months to six months provided things moved quickly.

 

The bill for Telangana state is expected to come up in the winter session of parliament scheduled in November, said Shinde.