The Telugu Desam Party (TDP) MLAs and MLCs continued their hunger strike under lanterns on the second day of their agitation at Old MLAs Quarters here on Wednesday evening.
The 26 legislators who took up the fast in protest against the indifference of the government to the power crisis facing the State, cut off power supply to the camp where they were seated to register their protest more vigorously.
Earlier in the day, the TDP president N. Chandrababu Naidu held a teleconference with them from East Godavari district where he was on a padayatra. He reportedly suggested to them to burn electricity bills to show their anger at the government. He also asked the party leaders to organise programmes to express solidarity with the fast in all Assembly constituencies. Thereafter, members of the women’s wing of the party burnt the bills near the hunger strike camp.
CPI State secretary K. Narayana and his CPI (M) counterpart B.V. Raghavulu were among a host of leaders who visited the camp. TDP MPs T. Devender Goud and Nama Nageswara Rao deplored the lack of support to their protest in Parliament about less gas allocation to the State.
Mr. P. Keshav, MLA, warned that the party will make public respond to the power crisis. Another MLA E. Dayakar Rao said the TDP was willing to join hands with any party, except YSR Congress, in continuing the agitation. The doctors checked the health condition of all the legislators and advised G. Muddukrishnama Naidu to call off the fast because his blood sugar had dropped. But, he rejected the same. TDP Rajya Sabha member Gundu Sudha Rani also joined the fast today.
