Chaos engulfs Andhra, MLAs continue to quit

HYDERABAD: Andhra Pradesh continued to smoulder over the Telangana issue even as the UPA government and the Congress blew hot and cold on the separate state resolution by issuing contradictory statements and assurances in the national capital.

By Friday, the total number of MLAs who quit the 294-member Assembly touched 134. Of these, 80 are from the Congress, 40 from TDP and 14 from Chiranjeevi’s PRP. The Congress MP from Nandyal (in Rayalaseema region), SPY Reddy, too, put in his papers on Friday.

While there was no comment from Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar about the resignations of the MPs, Assembly Speaker N Kiran Kumar Reddy continued to maintain that the resignations of the MLAs were not valid as he had not yet accepted them.

While the Telangana region remained quiet, violence erupted in the coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema regions which observed a bandh on Friday to protest the proposed division of the state. Buses were burnt and stoned.

The HSBC office in Visakhapatnam , which was open, was attacked. Jai Andhra protesters have threatened to prevent the India-Sri Lanka one-day international scheduled to be held in YSR Stadium in Visakhapatnam on December 18 from taking place.