HYDERABAD, India: All 13 ministers from the Telangana region resigned from the Andhra Pradesh Cabinet on Friday to press the federal government and the Congress party leadership to come out with a firm commitment and clear cut time-frame for the formation of separate state for this backward region.
Announcing the resignations after a meeting with Chief Minister K. Rosaiah on Friday afternoon, Major Irrigation Minister Ponnala Lakshmaiah told reporters that they have faxed a copy of their joint letter of resignation to Congress President Sonia Gandhi.
“We have sent our resignation letter to Sonia Gandhi. We have also informed the chief minister as well as the Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee president D. Srinivas about our resignations,” Lakshmaiah said.
“Our posts are not important to us. What is paramount to us is the formation of a separate Telangana state,” he said and pointed out that the statement made by Home Minister P. Chidambaram on Dec. 23 had created confusion and doubts over the commitment of the federal government on the issue.
“The latest statement has created apprehensions in the minds of the people of Telangana since no time-frame has been spelt out for completing the process of consultation and for the formation of Telangana state,” Lakshmaiah added.
The ministers who resigned are Ponnala Lakshamaiah, P. Sabitha Indra Reddy (Home), J. Geeta Reddy (Information and Public Relations), D.K Aruna (Smallscale Industries), D. Sreedhar Babu (Higher Education), Sunita Laxma Reddy (Minor Irrigation), J. Krishna Rao (Civil Supplies), D. Nagender (Health), S. Sudarshan Reddy (Medical Education), Ramreddy Venkat Reddy (Labor), Komatireddy Venkat Reddy (Information Technology), M. Mukesh Goud (Backward Classes Welfare) and C. Damodar Raj Narasimha (Marketing). Government Chief Whip Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, who has Cabinet rank, has also announced his resignation.
At his meeting with the ministers, Chief Minister Rosaiah asked them not to take any hasty decision but to cooperate with him in re-establishing peace and law and order in the state. He urged them to exercise restraint and not to precipitate matters as this would lead to a political crisis forcing Delhi to impose president’s rule on the state.
Meanwhile, the number of members of Legislative Assembly from the Telangana region who have announced their resignation has went up to 71 on Friday. They include 36 from Telugu Desam Party, 21 from Congress, 10 from Telangana Rashtra Samithi and two each from Praja Rajyam Party and Bharatiya Janata Party. Sixteen members of the Legislative Council from Telangana have also announced their resignation.
