In the atmosphere of competitive politics prevailing in Andhra Pradesh following the UPA government’s decision to create a Telangana state, main opposition Telugu Desam Party (TDP) President N Chandrababu Naidu began an indefinite fast which he launched in Hyderabad on Monday and will continue with it in New Delhi.

Naidu’s fast comes close on the heels of YSR Congress (YSRC) chief Y S Jaganmohan Reddy going on an indefinite fast from Saturday against the Center’s move to bifurcate the state.

Naidu first paid floral tributes at TDP founder and former chief minister late N T Rama Rao’s memorial in Hyderabad before taking a flight to Delhi where he paid homage at Rajghat, Mahatma Gandhi’s memorial, before coming to Jantar Mantar to continue with his fast.

Accusing the ruling party of resorting to dirty politics with an eye on the 2014 elections, Naidu, speaking to the media, said: “Congress took the decision arbitrarily. The party is treating Andhra Pradesh issues like an internal affair, and this has led to the present chaotic situation in coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema regions.

Stating that people in Seemandhra were losing faith in the political system, he said the intentions of the ruling party were clear from the day the Congress Working Committee (CWC) cleared the decks for creation of Telangana, with party leaders claiming that Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS), the political party in the forefront of the separate statehood movement, would merge with the Congress.

Naidu claimed that the Congress game-plan was to marginalize TDP by sailing with TRS in Telangana and YRSC in Seemandhra.

In a veiled reference to Congress President Sonia Gandhi’s Italian origin, Naidu used the Italian word ‘Immobilizmo’ which means standstill in Italian, to describe the situation in Seemandhra. “Both the Center and Congress understand only this language, and I using it to drive home the point,” he said.

The TDP chief, known for his ambivalence on the separate statehood issue, evaded a direct reply on whether he was in favor of a Telangana state. “If I have three children, as a father, I will treat them all equally,” he said, referring to the three regions of the state.

In Hyderabad, Jagan, whose fast entered the third day on Monday, blamed Sonia Gandhi for the present crisis in the state. “She is playing with the sentiments of the people with the single-minded agenda of seeing her son Rahul Gandhi as the Prime Minister. I appeal to the Congress President to reconsider the decision since division of the state would have an impact on future generations,” he said, adding that the party would definitely knock on the doors of Supreme Court for justice.

Meanwhile, coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema regions continued to reel under power crisis with even major cities and towns like Visakhapatnam, Kakinada and Vijaywada going without power for hours together since Sunday when the employees of power utilities in the state joined the anti-bifurcation agitation.

Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy, who reviewed the power situation with top officials of the power utilities on Monday, appealed to the power sector employees to resume their work and restore power supply at the earliest to avoid hardship to the general public.

Sources in the Chief Minister’s Office told Arab News that, Kiran Reddy was really concerned with disruption of power supply in Seemandhra region, particularly in the districts of Krishna, Guntur, Prakasam, Nellore, Anantapur and Kurnool.

The situation in these districts is worrisome with power disruption causing immense difficulties to the common people in even getting drinking water, health facilities and other essential services, the source said.

The strike by power sector employees has also resulted in cancelation of several trains services in Seemandhra region. Railway officials said they were trying to overcome the hurdles by running train services using diesel locomotives in place of electric engines.

According to sources, as many as three transmission lines of 400 kv and another two lines of 400/220 kv were tripped due to the agitation in Seemandhra region. Only 2,990 MW of thermal power was produced as against the installed capacity of 6,090 MW on Sunday. Similarly, power from the hydel generation stood at 1,694 MW against the installed capacity of 3,937 MW. Several gas-based power plants are also not functioning due to gas shortage problems.

Meanwhile, protesters in Seemandhra stepped up their attacks on residences and offices of Congress ministers and lawmakers on Monday, despite the heavy police deployment outside their premises. Houses of Union Ministers D Purandeswari (Visakhapatnam) and M M Pallam Raju (Kakinada) were attacked by anti-bifurcation protesters, with the demand that they quit their posts and join the agitation. Houses of State Ministers including G Srinivasa Rao and MLAs M Vijayaprasad and Vijaykumar were targeted in Visakhapatnam.

There were also reports of similar attacks at residences of MPs and MLAs in Nellore, Rajahmundry, Tirupati and Rajam. The situation in curfew-bound Vizianagaram in north coastal Andhra continued to be tense for the fourth successive day, with mobs defying police orders and resorting to stone-pelting on the streets.