Ahead of the Congress’ central leadership firming up its decision on the statehood issue, three MLAs and two MLCs from Kadapa district belonging to the ruling party and the YSR Congress handed over their resignation letters to the Samaikyandhra JAC protesting against attempts to divide Rayalaseema region.
Congress MLA C. Adinarayana Reddy (Jammalamadugu), YSR Congress MLAs G. Srikanth Reddy (Rayachoti) and K. Srinivasulu (Kodur) besides MLCs C. Narayana Reddy and B. Pullaiah (Teachers constituency) insisted that their resignations were in the “Assembly Speaker/ Council Chairman format” and presented the same to the district Samaikyandhra JAC convenor Ch.Chandrasekhar Reddy at an all-party meeting in Kadapa on Sunday. The MLAs and MLCs, who resigned, asserted that they would motivate their colleagues in the region to tender resignations and express solidarity. They also said they would organise a meeting on the issue soon. The JAC meeting demanded that all the MPs, MLAs and MLCs tender their resignations in favour of a unified State and picket their houses if they were reluctant to quit. They said they were prepared to send their resignations to Assembly Speaker Nadendla Manohar in order to safeguard the interests of the State and Rayalaseema region. The Congress governments at the Centre and in the State were neglecting development of the region and not taking the aspirations of its people into consideration, but plotting to split Rayalaseema, they alleged.
The resignations came on the day when Telangana Congress leaders met in Hyderabad to discuss the modalities for preparation of the roadmap by Deputy Chief Minister C. Damodar Raj Narasimha.
Congress leaders from Rayalaseema are particularly irked by the speculation that Anantapur and Kurnool districts would be tagged with Telangana to create Rayala-Telangana State.